Laser direct writing of Ga_(2)O_(3)/liquid metal-based flexible humidity sensors

Flexible and wearable humidity sensors play a vital role in daily point-of-care diagnosis and noncontact human-machine interactions.However,achieving a facile and high-speed fabrication approach to realizing flexible humidity sensors remains a challenge.In this work,a wearable capacitive-type Ga_(2)O_(3)/liquid metal-based humidity sensor is demonstrated by a one-step laser direct writing technique.Owing to the photothermal effect of laser,the Ga_(2)O_(3)-wrapped liquid metal particles can be selectively sintered and converted from insulative to conductive traces with a resistivity of 0.19Ω·cm,while the untreated regions serve as active sensing layers in response to moisture changes.Under 95%relative humidity,the humidity sensor displays a highly stable performance along with rapid response and recover time.Utilizing these superior properties,the Ga_(2)O_(3)/liquid metal-based humidity sensor is able to monitor human respiration rate,as well as skin moisture of the palm under different physiological states for healthcare monitoring.

Functionalized Hydrogel-Based Wearable Gas and Humidity Sensors

Breathing is an inherent human activity;however,the composition of the air we inhale and gas exhale remains unknown to us.To address this,wearable vapor sensors can help people monitor air composition in real time to avoid underlying risks,and for the early detection and treatment of diseases for home healthcare.Hydrogels with three-dimensional polymer networks and large amounts of water molecules are naturally flexible and stretchable.Functionalized hydrogels are intrinsically conductive,self-healing,self-adhesive,biocompatible,and room-temperature sensitive.Compared with traditional rigid vapor sensors,hydrogel-based gas and humidity sensors can directly fit human skin or clothing,and are more suitable for real-time monitoring of personal health and safety.In this review,current studies on hydrogel-based vapor sensors are investigated.The required properties and optimization methods of wearable hydrogel-based sensors are introduced.Subsequently,existing reports on the response mechanisms of hydrogel-based gas and humidity sensors are summarized.Related works on hydrogel-based vapor sensors for their application in personal health and safety monitoring are presented.Moreover,the potential of hydrogels in the field of vapor sensing is elucidated.Finally,the current research status,challenges,and future trends of hydrogel gas/humidity sensing are discussed.

Electrospinning of Flexible Poly(vinyl alcohol)/MXene Nanofiber-Based Humidity Sensor Self-Powered by Monolayer Molybdenum Diselenide Piezoelectric Nanogenerator

Two-dimensional material has been widely investigated for potential applications in sensor and flexible electronics.In this work,a self-powered flexible humidity sensing device based on poly(vinyl alcohol)/Ti_(3)C_(2)Tx(PVA/MXene)nanofibers film and monolayer molybdenum diselenide(MoSe2)piezoelectric nanogenerator(PENG)was reported for the first time.The monolayer MoSe_(2)-based PENG was fabricated by atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition techniques,which can generate a peak output of 35 mV and a power density of42 mW m^(-2).The flexible PENG integrated on polyethylene terephthalate(PET)substrate can harvest energy generated by different parts of human body and exhibit great application prospects in wearable devices.The electrospinned PVA/MXene nanofiber-based humidity sensor with flexible PET substrate under the driven of monolayer MoSe_(2) PENG,shows high response of~40,fast response/recovery time of 0.9/6.3 s,low hysteresis of 1.8%and excellent repeatability.The self-powered flexible humidity sensor yields the capability of detecting human skin moisture and ambient humidity.This work provides a pathway to explore the high-performance humidity sensor integrated with PENG for the self-powered flexible electronic devices.

Multifunctional Flexible Humidity Sensor Systems Towards Noncontact Wearable Electronics

In the past decade,the global industry and research attentions on intelligent skin-like electronics have boosted their applications in diverse fields including human healthcare,Internet of Things,human–machine interfaces,artificial intelligence and soft robotics.Among them,flexible humidity sensors play a vital role in noncontact measurements relying on the unique property of rapid response to humidity change.This work presents an overview of recent advances in flexible humidity sensors using various active functional materials for contactless monitoring.Four categories of humidity sensors are highlighted based on resistive,capacitive,impedance-type and voltage-type working mechanisms.Furthermore,typical strategies including chemical doping,structural design and Joule heating are introduced to enhance the performance of humidity sensors.Drawing on the noncontact perception capability,human/plant healthcare management,human-machine interactions as well as integrated humidity sensor-based feedback systems are presented.The burgeoning innovations in this research field will benefit human society,especially during the COVID-19 epidemic,where cross-infection should be averted and contactless sensation is highly desired.

Orange dye polyaniline composite based impedance humidity sensors

This study presents the fabrication and investigation （PANI） composite films. A blend of 3 wt.% OD with 1 of humidity sensors based on orange dye （OD） and polyaniline wt.% PANI was prepared in 1 ml water. The composite films were deposited on glass substrates between pre-deposited silver electrodes. The gap between the electrodes was 45 um. The sensing mechanism was based on the impedance and capacitance variations due to the absorption/desorption of water vapor. It was observed that with the increase in relative humidity （RH） from 30% to 90%, the impedance decreases by 5.2 × 10^4 and 8.8 × 10^3 times for the frequencies of 120 Hz and 1 kHz, respectively. The impedance-humidity relationship showed a more uniform change compared to the capacitance-humidity relationship in the RH range of 30% to 90%. The consequence of annealing, measuring frequency, response and recovery time, and absorption-desorption behavior of the humidity sensor were also discussed in detail. The annealing resulted in an increase in sensitivity of up to 2.5 times, while the measured response time and recovery time were 34 s and 450 s, respectively. The impedance-humidity relationship was simulated.

A NOVEL RESISTIVE HUMIDITY SENSOR BASED ON SODIUM POLYSTYRENESULFONATE/TiO_2 NANOCOMPOSITES

A resistive humidity sensor was prepared based on sodium polystyrenesulfonate (NaPSS)/TiO2 nanocomposites, and its electrical response to humidity was examined. The sensor exhibits better linearity, smaller hysteresis (< 4% RH) and quicker response (absorption: less than 2 s; desorption: less than 20 s) in comparison with sensor composed of NaPSS. The effect of concentration of NaPSS and TiO2 on humidity response of sensors was discussed.

Surface Acoustic Wave Humidity Sensors Based on(1120) ZnO Piezoelectric Films Sputtered on R-Sapphire Substrates

ZnO films on R-sapphire substrates are prepared and characterized by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, which indicate that the thin films are well crystallized with （1120） texture. Love wave and Rayleigh wave are used for fabrications of humidity sensors, which are excited in [1100] and [0001] directions of the （1120） ZnO piezoelectric films, respectively. The experimental results show that both kinds of sensors have good humidity response and repeatability, and the performances of the Love wave sensors are better than those of the Rayleigh wave sensors at room temperature. Moreover, the theoretical calculations of the mass sensitivity of the sensors are a/so carried out and the calculated results are in good agreement with the experimental measurements.

Dielectric Properties of Capacitive-Type Humidity Sensor Made under Different Pressures

Capacitive humidity sensors were made of nanometer barium titanate.The pellets were prepared under different pressures between 3920N to 7850N force.The capacitance changes in three orders of magnitude in the relative humidity range of 10%～98%,indicating high humidity sensitivity of the sensors.At a certain measuring frequency,the capacitance of the sensors increases as increasing of the preparation pressure,while the sensitivity of the sensors basically remains the same.The frequencies corresponding to the peaks of the dielectric loss of the sensors move to the higher frequency direction as increasing of the relative humidity.At a certain humidity,the frequencies corresponding to the peaks of the dielectric loss move to the higher frequency direction as increasing of the preparation pressure.

The Humidity Sensor Using the Polyacrylic Emulsion Containing Magnesium Chloride

An impedance type humidity sensor based on the polyacrylic emulsion containing magnesium chloride (MgCl_2) without chemical modification was investigated.The impedances of the sensor were measured from various relative humidity in the frequency range between 0.1kHz and 100 kHz.The sensor has a good sensitivity from 60%RH to 90%RH.According to the experimental results,the response time is about 240 seconds in the adsorption process and 310 seconds in the desorption process.

A Novel Thin Film Resistive Humidity Sensor Based on SolubleConjugated Polymer:(propionic acid)-co-(propargyl alcohol)

A novel soluble conjugated copolymer (propionic acid)-co-(propargyl alcohol) (PA-co-OHP) has been synthesized for the first time using a new palladium acetylide catalyst Pd(PPh3)(2)(C=CC(CH3)(2)OH)(2)(PPB). Thin film resistive humidity sensor based oil the copolymer doped with HClO4 was prepared. The impedance of the sensor changed from 10(3)similar to 10(7) Omega in 95%similar to 30%RH, and the response of that is very quick (<6 sec.). Preliminary results show the copolymer is a promising humidity sensitive material.

Humidity sensor based on BiOBr synthesized under ambient condition

Flexible humidity sensors are effective portable devices for human respiratory monitoring.However,the current pre-paration of sensitive materials need harsh terms and the small production output limits their practicability.Here,we report a syn-thesis method of single-crystal BiOBr nanosheets under room temperature and atmospheric pressure based on a sonochemic-al strategy.A flexible humidity sensor enabled by BiOBr nanosheets deliver efficient sensing performance,a high humidity sensit-ivity(Ig/I0=550%)with relative humidity from 40%to 100%,an excellent selectivity,and a detection response/recovery time of 11 and 6 s,respectively.The flexible humidity sensor shows a potential application value as a wearable monitoring device for res-piratory disease prevention and health monitoring.

Design of ispPAC-based Humidity Sensor Signal Processing Circuits

The widely used sensitive elements of humidity sensors can be divided into 3 types,i.e.,resistor,capacitor,and electrolyte.Humidity sensors consisting of these sensitive elements have corresponding signal processing circuit unique to each type of sensitive elements.This paper presents an ispPAC (in-system programmable Programmable Analog Circuit) -based humidity sensor signal processing circuit designed with software method and implemented with in-system programmable simulators.Practical operation shows that humidity sensor signal processing circuits of this kind,exhibit stable and reliable performance.

Research on Consistency Judgement of Indication Error for Calibration Result of Humidity Sensor in Meteorology

In order to solve the lack of relevant evaluation research on the accuracy of HMP155A humidity sensor calibration results in the past, this paper designs the corresponding experimental scheme, and obtains the corresponding calibration results according to the experimental scheme;Then the measurement uncertainty of the indication error in the calibration results is evaluated by GUM, and the corresponding extended uncertainty U95 is obtained. Finally, according to the requirements of JJF1094-2016 characteristic evaluation of measuring instruments, combined with the calibration results and the actual situation of U95, the conformity of the indication error of calibration is determined. The result is that each calibration point of the sensor meets the requirements of conformity determination and is within the qualified range. This research effectively makes up for the blank of the previous research on the conformity determination of the indication error of the calibration results and has strong theoretical and practical significance.

Nanodiamond/Ti_(3)C_(2) MXene-coated quartz crystal microbalance humidity sensor with high sensitivity and high quality factor

To address the challenge of achieving both high sensitivity and a high quality factor in quartz crystal microbalance(QCM)humidity sensors,a nanodiamond(ND)/Ti_(3)C_(2)MXene composite-coated QCM humidity sensor was fabricated.The material characteristics of ND,Ti_(3)C_(2)MXene,and ND/Ti_(3)C_(2)MXene composite were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy(TEM)and Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)spectroscopy.The experimental results demonstrated that the hydrophilic ND nanoparticles coated on Ti_(3)C_(2) MXene nanosheet prevented the self-stacking of Ti_(3)C_(2)MXene and enhanced the sensitivity of Ti_(3)C_(2) MXene-based QCM humidity sensor.Moreover,the high mechanical modulus of Ti_(3)C_(2) MXene material helped ND/Ti_(3)C_(2)MXene composite-coated QCM humidity sensor to achieve a high quality factor(>20,000).ND/Ti_(3)C_(2)MXene compositecoated QCM humidity sensor exhibited a sensitivity of 82.45 Hz/%RH,a humidity hysteresis of 1.1%RH,fast response/recovery times,acceptable repeatability,and good stability from 11.3%RH to 97.3%RH.The response mechanism of ND/Ti_(3)C_(2) MXene composite-coated QCM humidity sensor was analyzed in combination with a bi-exponential kinetic adsorption model.Finally,the potential application of ND/Ti_(3)C_(2)MXene composite-coated QCM humidity sensor was demonstrated through its frequency response to wooden blocks with different moisture contents.

Sensitive humidity sensor based on moisture-driven energy generation

The emergence of novel self-powered humidity sensors has attracted considerable attention in the fields of smart electronic devices and personal healthcare.Herein,self-powered humidity sensors have been fabricated using a moisture-driven energy generation(MEG)device based on asymmetric tubular graphitic carbon nitride(g-CN)films prepared on anodized aluminum(AAO)template.At a relative humidity(RH)of 96%,the MEG device can provide an open-circuit voltage of 0.47 V and a short-circuit current of 3.51μA,with a maximum output power of 0.08μW.With inherent self-powered ability and humidity response via current variation,an extraordinary response of 1.78×106%(41%-96%RH)can be gained from the MEG device.The possible power generation mechanism is that g-CN/AAO heterostructure can form ion gradient and diffusion under the action of moisture to convert chemical potential into electrical potential,evoking a connaturally sensitive response to humidity.Self-powered respiration monitoring device based on the sensor is designed to monitor human movement(sitting,warming up,and running)and sleep status(normal,snoring,and apnea),maintaining excellent stability during cumulative 12-h respiration monitoring.This self-powered humidity sensing technology has promising potential for extensive integration into smart electronic and round-the-clock health monitoring devices.

Recent progress of diversiform humidity sensors based on versatile nanomaterials and their prospective applications

Humidity sensors are of significance in various fields,such as environmental and food quality monitoring,industrial processing,wearable and flexible electronics,and human health care.High-performance humidity sensors with high sensitivity,rapid response time,and good stability are of paramount importance in humidity sensing.In this paper,diversiform humidity sensors with different sensing mechanisms are summarized,including resistive,impedance,capacitive,quartz crystal microbalance(QCM),surface acoustic wave(SAW),field-effect transistor(FET),and optical fiber humidity sensors.Versatile nanomaterials such as graphene,transition-metal chalcogenide,MXenes,black phosphorus(BP),boron nitride(BN),polymers,and nanofibers were promising building-blocks for constructing humidity sensors.The latest progress in the wearable and flexible humidity sensors,and self-powered humidity sensors was summarized.The diversiform applications of the humidity sensors with great prospects were demonstrated in various fields in terms of human respiratory monitoring,skin dryness diagnosing,fingertip approaching,and non-contact switch.Moreover,the challenges and prospects of nanomaterials-based humidity sensors were discussed.

Ultra-thin CoAl layered double hydroxide nanosheets for the construction of highly sensitive and selective QCM humidity sensor

To achieve real-time monitoring of humidity in various applications,we prepared facile and ultra-thin CoAl layered double hydroxide(CoAl LDH)nanosheets to engineer quartz crystal microbalances(QCM).The characteristics of CoAl LDH were investigated by transmission electron microscopy(TEM),X-ray diffraction(XRD),X-ray photoelectric spectroscopy(XPS),Brunauer–Emmett–Telle(BET),atomic force microscopy(AFM)and zeta potential.Due to their large specific surface area and abundant hydroxyl groups,CoAl LDH nanosheets exhibit good humidity sensing performance.In a range of 11.3%and 97.6%relative humidity(RH),the sensor behaved an ultrahigh sensitivity(127.8 Hz/%RH),fast response(9.1 s)and recovery time(3.1 s),low hysteresis(3.1%RH),good linearity(R^(2)=0.9993),stability and selectivity.Besides,the sensor can recover the initial response frequency after being wetted by deionized water,revealing superior self-recovery ability under high humidity.Based on in-situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FT-IR),the adsorption mechanism of CoAl LDH toward water molecules was explored.The QCM sensor can distinguish different respiratory states of people and wetting degree of fingers,as well as monitor the humidity in vegetable packaging,suggesting excellent properties and a promising application in humidity sensing.

Highly sensitive humidity sensors based on hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets for contactless sensing

Humidity sensors with high sensitivity,rapid response,and facile fabrication process for contactless sensing applications have received considerable attention in recent years.Herein,humidity sensors based on hexagonal boron nitride(h-BN)nanosheets that are synthesized by a facile ultrasonic process have been fabricated,which display an ultrahigh sensitivity of 28,384%at 85%relative humidity(RH),rapid response/recovery time(3.0/5.5 s),and long-term stability in a wide humidity detection range(11%-85%RH),superior to most of the reported humidity sensors.The high sensitivity can be ascribed to the massive hydrophilic functional groups absorbed on the h-BN nanosheet surface.Benefiting from the high humidity sensing performances,contactless Morse code messaging and human writing and speech recognition have been demonstrated.This work demonstrates the great potential of the high-performance h-BN nanosheet-based humidity sensors for future contactless sensing devices.

Advanced flexible humidity sensors:structures,techniques,mechanisms and performances

Flexible humidity sensors are widely used in many fields,such as environmental monitoring,agricultural soil moisture content determination,food quality monitoring and healthcare services.Therefore,it is essential to measure humidity accurately and reliably in different conditions.Flexible materials have been the focusing substrates of humidity sensors because of their rich surface chemical properties and structural designability.In addition,flexible materials have superior ductility for different conditions.In this review,we have summarized several sensing mechanisms,processing techniques,sensing layers and substrates for specific humidity sensing requirements.Aadditionally,we have sorted out some cases of flexible humidity sensors based on different functional materials.We hope this paper can contribute to the development of flexible humidity sensors in the future.

Piezotronic effect enhanced Schottky-contact ZnO micro/nanowire humidity sensors

A ZnO micro/nanowire has been utilized to fabricate Schottky-contacted humidity sensors based on a metal-semiconductor-metal （M-S-M） structure. By means of the piezotronic effect, the signal level, sensitivity and sensing resolution of the humidity sensor were significantly enhanced when applying an external strain. Since a higher Schottky barrier markedly reduces the signal level, while a lower Schottky barrier decreases the sensor sensitivity due to increased ohmic transport, a 0.22% compressive strain was found to optimize the performance of the humidity sensor, with the largest responsivity being 1,240%. The physical mechanism behind the observed mechanical-electrical behavior was carefully studied by using band structure diagrams. This work provides a promising way to significantly enhance the overall performance of a Schottky-contact structured micro/nanowire sensor.