Structural Design for Enhancing Performance of 1D Conductive Nanomaterial-Based Stretchable Strain Sensors.

Abstract

Stretchable strain sensors have attracted extensive research interest for their potential in personalized medicine, sport monitoring, human-machine interfaces, and soft robotics. Material selection and structural design are two important factors driving their development. Among available materials, 1D conductive nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and silver nanowires (AgNWs), are especially promising owing to their distinctive electronic, optical, and mechanical properties. While various approaches exist to improve sensing performance, structural design offers a particularly effective route. This review focuses on structural design strategies for sensing materials incorporating 1D conductive nanomaterials. We begin by outlining several representative 1D nanomaterials and summarizing typical performance parameters for strain sensors. The core of the paper examines architectures, including ordered, cracked, wavy/wrinkled, and mesh structures, among others, and discusses how these designs influence sensing behavior. Finally, we highlight key challenges and future directions in the field of stretchable strain sensors.