Issue

Vol. 14 (2022)

Bioinspired Adaptive, Elastic, and Conductive Graphene Structured Thin-Films Achieving High-Efficiency Underwater Detection and Vibration Perception

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-022-00799-4
Qiling Wang
Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguan West Road 1219, Ningbo 315201, People’s Republic of China
Peng Xiao
Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguan West Road 1219, Ningbo 315201, People’s Republic of China
Wei Zhou
Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguan West Road 1219, Ningbo 315201, People’s Republic of China
Yun Liang
Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguan West Road 1219, Ningbo 315201, People’s Republic of China
Guangqiang Yin
Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguan West Road 1219, Ningbo 315201, People’s Republic of China
Qiu Yang
Ningbo New Material Testing and Evaluation Center Co., Ltd, Ningbo 315000, People’s Republic of China
Shiao‑Wei Kuo
Department of Material and Optoelectronic Science, Center of Crystal Research, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan, People’s Republic of China
Tao Chen
Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Related Technologies, Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Marine Materials and Protective Technologies, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongguan West Road 1219, Ningbo 315201, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Tao Chen

tao.chen@nimte.ac.cn

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 14 (2022), Article Number: 62

Abstract

Underwater exploration has been an attractive topic for understanding the very nature of the lakes and even deep oceans. In recent years, extensive efforts have been devoted to developing functional materials and their integrated devices for underwater information capturing. However, there still remains a great challenge for water depth detection and vibration monitoring in a high-efficient, controllable, and scalable way. Inspired by the lateral line of fish that can sensitively sense the water depth and environmental stimuli, an ultrathin, elastic, and adaptive underwater sensor based on Ecoflex matrix with embedded assembled graphene sheets is fabricated. The graphene structured thin film is endowed with favourable adaptive and morphable features, which can conformally adhere to the structural surface and transform to a bulged state driven by water pressure. Owing to the introduction of the graphene-based layer, the integrated sensing system can actively detect the water depth with a wide range of 0.3–1.8 m. Furthermore, similar to the fish, the mechanical stimuli from land (e.g. knocking, stomping) and water (e.g. wind blowing, raining, fishing) can also be sensitively captured in real time. This graphene structured thin-film system is expected to demonstrate significant potentials in underwater monitoring, communication, and risk avoidance.


Highlights:


1 The lateral-line-like underwater mechanical sensor (LUMS) realizes the imitation of the structure and function of the lateral line.
2 The detection range of water depth can be controlled by adjusting the size of the graphene/Ecoflex Janus film on LUMS. The maximum measured depth is 1.8 m.
3 Similar to the fish, the mechanical stimuli from land and water can be sensitively captured by LUMS in real time.

Keywords

Janus film Water depth detection Vibration perception
Wang, Qiling, Peng Xiao, Wei Zhou, Yun Liang, Guangqiang Yin, Qiu Yang, Shiao‑Wei Kuo, and Tao Chen. 2022. “Bioinspired Adaptive, Elastic, and Conductive Graphene Structured Thin-Films Achieving High-Efficiency Underwater Detection and Vibration Perception”. Nano-Micro Letters 14 (February):62. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-022-00799-4.
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