Carbonized derivatives derived from the complex of Fe/Ni bimetallic MOFs and phenolic resin for flexible piezoresistive sensors in motion capture and health monitoring

Based on the substantial high surface area and the chemical robustness inherent to metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), their integration into piezoresistive flexible pressure sensors presents significant potential. Nonetheless, the application of such sensors is impeded by the low conductivity of MOFs. In this work, we increased the conductivity of MOFs by carbonizing 2-aminoterephthalic acid iron-nickel metal–organic frameworks (Fe/Ni-MOFs) and introducing phenolic resins to protect the structure of Fe/Ni-MOFs. Piezoresistive flexible sensors were developed by embedding this carbonized derivative on the surface of PDMS films. The senrors showed a sensitivity of 198.51 kPa−1, broad operating pressure range (0–5 kPa), a fast response time (46 ms), a short recovery time (28 ms), and a high abrasion resistance. The flexible pressure device could be applied to monitor the finger motion and human pulses. Overall, these flexible high sensitivity devices demonstrate potential in the fields of wearable technologies, real-time health monitoring, and biomedical applications.