Fatigue-Resistant and Hysteresis-Free Composite Fibers with a Heterogeneous Hierarchical Structure

Abstract

Fatigue-resistant and hysteresis-free composite fibers hold great promise for the next generation of wearable electronic devices. In this study, a novel approach for the fabrication of composite fibers with outstanding elasticity and mechanical stability is proposed. The design incorporates a heterogeneous hierarchical structure (HHS), which mimics the structure of arteries, to achieve enhanced fatigue resistance and hysteresis-free performance. The composite fibers, Ecoflex-polyacrylamide fibers (EPFs), are created through the combination of heterogeneous elastomers and strong interfacial coupling. The results show that the EPFs exhibit exceptional fatigue resistance, being able to withstand up to 10,000 load–unload cycles at strains of 300% without any noticeable changes in their mechanical properties. The potential applications of these EPFs are demonstrated through their use as strain sensors for monitoring human motion in both air and water, as well as in energy-harvesting e-textiles.

Graphical Abstract

This paper proposes a novel approach for the fabrication of composite fibers with heterogeneous hierarchical structure by mimicking the structure of arteries, to achieve enhanced fatigue resistance and hysteresis-free performance. The composite fibers are created through the combination of heterogeneous elastomers and strong interfacial coupling. The results show that the fiber exhibit exceptional fatigue resistance, being able to withstand up to 10,000 load–unload cycles at strains of 300% without any noticeable changes in their mechanical properties. Demonstrations as strain sensors for monitoring human motion in both air and water, as well as in energy-harvesting e-textiles are performed, indicating the as-made fiber with an enormous potential uses in e-skin and wearable electronic devices.

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China(U22A20255); the 111 Project(No. B21034); Key Research and Development Program of Zhejiang Province(2020C05010); the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Zhejiang University NGICS Platform)