In-situ polymerization of PPy/cellulose composite sponge with high elasticity and conductivity for the application of pressure sensor

• DOI: 10.1016/j.coco.2017.10.001
• Publication Date: 2017-11-03T00:11:06Z
• Authors: Mengying Luo; Mufang Li; Yuqin Li; Kangqi Chang; Ke Liu; Qiongzhen Liu; Yuedan Wang; Zhentan Lu; Xue Liu; Dong Wang
• Keywords: Sponge; Polypyrrole; Methyl cellulose; In situ polymerization

Abstract In this study, the pressure sensor of polypyrrole/cellulose (PPy/C) sponge with outstanding electrical conductivity , elasticity and flexibility was prepared by a simple and environmentally friendly method. The original cellulose sponge was obtained by freeze-drying of cellulose/NaOH/urea solution under an optimum condition. To get a conductive sponge, the pyrroles have been in-situ chemical oxidative polymerized on cellulose sponge. The effects of bath ratio and reaction time on the structures, morphologies and electrical resistances of PPy/C composite sponges were analyzed to decide the optimum process parameters. Moreover, a test device consisted of pressure meter and ohmmeter was designed to investigate the properties of the PPy/C sponge sensor. It exhibited the excellent conductivity, sensitivity under a very small pressure (0–5 kPa) and good repeatability. The results demonstrated that the PPy/C sponge could be a promising candidate for pressure sensor to test external stimulus.