Ultra-robust, stretchable electrodes based on superamphiphobic surface for personal exercise monitoring

An ultra-robust, stretchable electrode is fabricated via the synergistic motion of silver nanoparticles and acid-modified carbon nanotubes (AgNPs/ACNT) stretchable conductive networks and superamphiphobic perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane modified carbon nanotubes-silica nanoparticles. The corresponding strain sensors has excellent extreme environmental tolerance and can detect the high-frequency exercise. • 1. An ultra-robust, stretchable electrode can operate under extreme environments. • 2. The electrode consists of hybrid AgNPs/ACNTs conductive layer and outermost superamphiphobic FCNTs-SiO 2 layer. • 3. The electrode shows an excellent gas permeability and skin-like Young's modulus. • 4. Demonstrate excellent performance is monitoring high-frequency exercise detection. The exploration of flexible electronic technology has been paid great attention recently, due to their promising applications such as health monitors and artificial electronic skins. To satisfy the requirement of practical applications, flexible and stretchable electrodes need to be further optimized in terms of mechanical robustness, sensing performance, and stability in extreme environments. Here, an ultra-robust and stretchable electrod is rationally designed and successfully fabricated via the synergistic combination of in situ growing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)/acid-modified carbon nanotubes (ACNTs) conductive networks and superamphiphobic 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane modified carbon nanotubes-silica nanoparticles (FCNTs-SiO 2 ). The obtained electrode shows a skin-like Young's modulus (2.3 MPa), high tensile strength (21.7 MPa), and good gas permeability. Owing to the conductive paths of ACNTs-bridged AgNPs, the strain sensor delivers a wide detection range of 155%, a high gauge factor (denoted as GF) value up to 6.6 × 10 4 and a fast response time of 62 ms. The re-entrant structure constructed by spraying FCNTs-SiO 2 along with chemcial composition endows the sensor with superamphiphobicity, which allows the sensor to fulfill its function under extreme environments (such as -60 ℃ to 60 ℃, corrosive liquids and non-polar liquids). The strain sensor can be used for monitoring high-frequency exercise and human health, indicating its potential application.