Sewing machine stitching of polyvinylidene fluoride fibers: programmable textile patterns for wearable triboelectric sensors

Textile-based sensors can perceive and respond to environmental stimuli in daily life, and hence are critical components of wearable devices. Herein, self-powered triboelectric wearable sensors are fabricated using polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) fibers stitched by using a sewing machine. The excellent mechanical properties of dry-jet wet spun PVDF fibers allow the use of a sewing machine to stitch them into diverse programmable textile patterns on various fabric substrates. Such stitches can provide remarkable triboelectric signals when in contact with the opposing surfaces of commercial fabrics, since PVDF has higher electron affinity than other polymers. In addition, PVDF stitch-based triboelectric sensors are flexible, lightweight, wearable, washable, and comfortable. Furthermore, they can detect a broad pressure range (326 Pa to 326 kPa), which is unachievable with conventional textile force sensors, enabling diverse pressure-sensor applications. To demonstrate their use in wearable devices, a smart glove and joint pads are fabricated based on PVDF stitch-based triboelectric sensors. These wearable sensors enable the detection of and distinguishing diverse hand gestures and body motions by generating intrinsic signal patterns for the specific gesture and motions. These sensors also enable real-time self-powered pulse signal monitoring. This work demonstrates a feasible fabrication approach to realize stitched textile sensors using a sewing machine, with many possible e-textile applications.

[1]  W. Nichols Clinical measurement of arterial stiffness obtained from noninvasive pressure waveforms. , 2005, American journal of hypertension.

[2]  Claire M. Lochner,et al.  Monitoring of Vital Signs with Flexible and Wearable Medical Devices , 2016, Advanced materials.

[3]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  A One‐Structure‐Based Hybridized Nanogenerator for Scavenging Mechanical and Thermal Energies by Triboelectric–Piezoelectric–Pyroelectric Effects , 2016, Advanced materials.

[4]  R. Rossi,et al.  Body-monitoring with photonic textiles: a reflective heartbeat sensor based on polymer optical fibres , 2017, Journal of The Royal Society Interface.

[5]  John L. Volakis,et al.  Colorful Textile Antennas Integrated into Embroidered Logos , 2015, J. Sens. Actuator Networks.

[6]  Trisha L. Andrew,et al.  All‐Textile Triboelectric Generator Compatible with Traditional Textile Process , 2016 .

[7]  Hong Liu,et al.  High performance sound driven triboelectric nanogenerator for harvesting noise energy , 2015 .

[8]  E M Hennig,et al.  Heel to toe motion characteristics in Parkinson patients during free walking. , 2001, Clinical biomechanics.

[9]  Woo Jin Hyun,et al.  Highly stretchable and wearable graphene strain sensors with controllable sensitivity for human motion monitoring. , 2015, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[10]  Elias Siores,et al.  Continuous production of piezoelectric PVDF fibre for e-textile applications , 2013 .

[11]  Xiuli Fu,et al.  Machine‐Washable Textile Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Effective Human Respiratory Monitoring through Loom Weaving of Metallic Yarns , 2016, Advanced materials.

[12]  Jing Sun,et al.  A stretchable fiber nanogenerator for versatile mechanical energy harvesting and self-powered full-range personal healthcare monitoring , 2017 .

[13]  Tao Jiang,et al.  Fully Packaged Self‐Powered Triboelectric Pressure Sensor Using Hemispheres‐Array , 2016 .

[14]  Jiwon Park,et al.  Corrugated Textile based Triboelectric Generator for Wearable Energy Harvesting , 2017, Scientific Reports.

[15]  G. Wallace,et al.  Knitted Carbon-Nanotube-Sheath/Spandex-Core Elastomeric Yarns for Artificial Muscles and Strain Sensing. , 2016, ACS nano.

[16]  Michael Eisenberg,et al.  Fabric PCBs, electronic sequins, and socket buttons: techniques for e-textile craft , 2009, Personal and Ubiquitous Computing.

[17]  L. Castano,et al.  Smart fabric sensors and e-textile technologies: a review , 2014 .

[18]  Caofeng Pan,et al.  Self‐Powered High‐Resolution and Pressure‐Sensitive Triboelectric Sensor Matrix for Real‐Time Tactile Mapping , 2016, Advanced materials.

[19]  Xuemei Sun,et al.  Smart Electronic Textiles. , 2016, Angewandte Chemie.

[20]  Ray H. Baughman,et al.  Stretchable Triboelectric Fiber for Self-powered Kinematic Sensing Textile , 2016, Scientific Reports.

[21]  Jonghwa Park,et al.  Flexible Ferroelectric Sensors with Ultrahigh Pressure Sensitivity and Linear Response over Exceptionally Broad Pressure Range. , 2018, ACS nano.

[22]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  Highly Stretchable 2D Fabrics for Wearable Triboelectric Nanogenerator under Harsh Environments. , 2015, ACS nano.

[23]  Hao Sun,et al.  Large‐Area Supercapacitor Textiles with Novel Hierarchical Conducting Structures , 2016, Advanced materials.

[24]  Guang Zhu,et al.  Dipole-moment-induced effect on contact electrification for triboelectric nanogenerators , 2014, Nano Research.

[25]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  Triboelectric active sensor array for self-powered static and dynamic pressure detection and tactile imaging. , 2013, ACS nano.

[26]  Dechun Zou,et al.  Wearable Power‐Textiles by Integrating Fabric Triboelectric Nanogenerators and Fiber‐Shaped Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells , 2016 .

[27]  Zhong Lin Wang Triboelectric nanogenerators as new energy technology for self-powered systems and as active mechanical and chemical sensors. , 2013, ACS nano.

[28]  Wanchul Seung,et al.  Fully Stretchable Textile Triboelectric Nanogenerator with Knitted Fabric Structures. , 2017, ACS nano.

[29]  Q. Fu,et al.  Realizing the full nanofiller enhancement in melt-spun fibers of poly(vinylidene fluoride)/carbon nanotube composites , 2011, Nanotechnology.

[30]  Jing Zhang,et al.  A triboelectric textile templated by a three-dimensionally penetrated fabric , 2016 .

[31]  Cheng Xu,et al.  3D Orthogonal Woven Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Effective Biomechanical Energy Harvesting and as Self‐Powered Active Motion Sensors , 2017, Advanced materials.

[32]  X. Tao,et al.  Fiber‐Based Wearable Electronics: A Review of Materials, Fabrication, Devices, and Applications , 2014, Advanced materials.

[33]  Jian Chang,et al.  Coaxial fiber supercapacitor using all-carbon material electrodes. , 2013, ACS nano.

[34]  E. Hennig,et al.  Plantar Pressure Distribution Patterns During Gait in Diabetic Neuropathy Patients with a History of Foot Ulcers , 2009, Clinics.

[35]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  Eye motion triggered self-powered mechnosensational communication system using triboelectric nanogenerator , 2017, Science Advances.

[36]  Tae Yun Kim,et al.  Nanopatterned textile-based wearable triboelectric nanogenerator. , 2015, ACS nano.

[37]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  Progress in triboelectric nanogenerators as a new energy technology and self-powered sensors , 2015 .

[38]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  Woven structured triboelectric nanogenerator for wearable devices. , 2014, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[39]  Weiguo Hu,et al.  Wearable Self‐Charging Power Textile Based on Flexible Yarn Supercapacitors and Fabric Nanogenerators , 2016, Advanced materials.

[40]  N. Pan,et al.  Investigation the jet stretch in PAN fiber dry‐jet wet spinning for PAN‐DMSO‐H2O system , 2009 .

[41]  Jie Chen,et al.  A highly sensitive, self-powered triboelectric auditory sensor for social robotics and hearing aids , 2018, Science Robotics.

[42]  Ja Hoon Koo,et al.  Conductive Fiber‐Based Ultrasensitive Textile Pressure Sensor for Wearable Electronics , 2015, Advanced materials.

[43]  Takao Someya,et al.  Enhancing the Performance of Stretchable Conductors for E‐Textiles by Controlled Ink Permeation , 2017, Advanced materials.

[44]  Hao Yu,et al.  Enhanced power output of an electrospun PVDF/MWCNTs-based nanogenerator by tuning its conductivity , 2013, Nanotechnology.

[45]  Sung Kyu Park,et al.  Recent Progress of Textile-Based Wearable Electronics: A Comprehensive Review of Materials, Devices, and Applications. , 2018, Small.

[46]  Elias Siores,et al.  Novel “3-D spacer” all fibre piezoelectric textiles for energy harvesting applications , 2014 .

[47]  Neil Genzlinger A. and Q , 2006 .

[48]  Hao Yu,et al.  Enhanced Power Output of a Triboelectric Nanogenerator Composed of Electrospun Nanofiber Mats Doped with Graphene Oxide , 2015, Scientific Reports.

[49]  S. Wong,et al.  Microstructure development in electrospun carbon nanotube reinforced polyvinylidene fluoride fibers and its influence on tensile strength and dielectric permittivity , 2013 .

[50]  Zhong‐Lin Wang,et al.  Single‐Thread‐Based Wearable and Highly Stretchable Triboelectric Nanogenerators and Their Applications in Cloth‐Based Self‐Powered Human‐Interactive and Biomedical Sensing , 2017 .

[51]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  Triboelectric nanogenerators as self-powered active sensors , 2015 .

[52]  Xue Wang,et al.  Traditional weaving craft for one-piece self-charging power textile for wearable electronics , 2018 .

[53]  R. Forchheimer,et al.  Towards woven logic from organic electronic fibres. , 2007, Nature materials.

[54]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  Flexible triboelectric generator , 2012 .

[55]  Meifang Zhu,et al.  Human walking-driven wearable all-fiber triboelectric nanogenerator containing electrospun polyvinylidene fluoride piezoelectric nanofibers , 2015 .

[56]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  Large‐Area All‐Textile Pressure Sensors for Monitoring Human Motion and Physiological Signals , 2017, Advanced materials.

[57]  Yun-Ze Long,et al.  Electrospun Aligned Fibrous Arrays and Twisted Ropes: Fabrication, Mechanical and Electrical Properties, and Application in Strain Sensors , 2015, Nanoscale Research Letters.

[58]  Katsuhiko Kohara,et al.  Radial augmentation index: a useful and easily obtainable parameter for vascular aging. , 2004, American journal of hypertension.

[59]  M. Tascan,et al.  Effects of process parameters on the properties of wet-spun solid PVDF fibers , 2014 .

[60]  Kwang-Seok Yun,et al.  Woven flexible textile structure for wearable power-generating tactile sensor array , 2015 .

[61]  Haiyang Zou,et al.  A Highly Stretchable and Washable All-Yarn-Based Self-Charging Knitting Power Textile Composed of Fiber Triboelectric Nanogenerators and Supercapacitors. , 2017, ACS nano.

[62]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  Self-Sterilized Flexible Single-Electrode Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Energy Harvesting and Dynamic Force Sensing. , 2017, ACS nano.

[63]  Jiuke Mu,et al.  A wearable, fibroid, self-powered active kinematic sensor based on stretchable sheath-core structural triboelectric fibers , 2017 .

[64]  Xiyuan Liu,et al.  Embroidered electrochemical sensors for biomolecular detection. , 2016, Lab on a chip.

[65]  W. Marsden I and J , 2012 .

[66]  Yiin Kuen Fuh,et al.  Self-Powered Pressure Sensor with fully encapsulated 3D printed wavy substrate and highly-aligned piezoelectric fibers array , 2017, Scientific Reports.

[67]  Rezaul K. Begg,et al.  Foot Plantar Pressure Measurement System: A Review , 2012, Sensors.

[68]  Minshen Zhu,et al.  3D spacer fabric based multifunctional triboelectric nanogenerator with great feasibility for mechanized large-scale production , 2016 .

[69]  G. G. Stokes "J." , 1890, The New Yale Book of Quotations.

[70]  Neil Gershenfeld,et al.  E-broidery: Design and fabrication of textile-based computing , 2000, IBM Syst. J..

[71]  S. Kim,et al.  Effect of processing parameters of the continuous wet spinning system on the crystal phase of PVDF fibers , 2018 .

[72]  Zhiping Xu,et al.  Carbonized Silk Fabric for Ultrastretchable, Highly Sensitive, and Wearable Strain Sensors , 2016, Advanced materials.

[73]  Shayan Seyedin,et al.  Towards the Knittability of Graphene Oxide Fibres , 2015, Scientific Reports.

[74]  Zhong Lin Wang,et al.  Sliding-triboelectric nanogenerators based on in-plane charge-separation mechanism. , 2013, Nano letters.

[75]  Jun Zhou,et al.  Fiber-based generator for wearable electronics and mobile medication. , 2014, ACS nano.