Author(s)

Md Kamrul Hasan, Xinbo Ding^*

School of Textile Science and Engineering, International Silk Institute, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, China.

Flexible sensors have great potential for monitoring human body motion signals. This paper presents a flexible sensor that uses zinc oxide (ZnO) to improve the mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of PVA hydrogel. The composite hydrogel has excellent conductive properties and high strain sensitivity, making it suitable for motion monitoring. The PVA/ZnO conductive hydrogel is tested on various body parts, showing effective feedback on movement changes and good electrical signal output effects for different motion degrees, confirming its feasibility in flexible sensors. The sensor exhibits good mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, and tensile strain sensing performance, making it a promising sensor material. It can accurately monitor wrist bending, finger deformation, bending, and large-scale joint movements due to its wide monitoring range and recoverable strain. The results show that the PVA/ZnO conductive hydrogel can provide effective feedback in flexible sensors, which is suitable for use in motion monitoring.

Polyvinyl Alcohol, Zinc Oxide, Zinc Oxide Nanorods, Conductive Hydrogel, Flexible Sensor

Hasan, M. and Ding, X. (2024) Preparation and Performance Study of PVA-Based Flexible Sensors. Open Journal of Polymer Chemistry, 14, 19-40. doi: 10.4236/ojpchem.2024.141002.