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Stumbling through the research wilderness, standard methods to shine light on electrically conductive nanocomposites for future healthcare monitoring

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journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 19:45 authored by Conor Boland
Electrically conductive nanocomposites are an exciting ever-expanding area of research that has yielded many versatile technologies for wearable health devices. Acting as strain-sensing materials, real-time medical diagnostic tools based on these materials may very well lead to a golden age of healthcare. Currently, the goal in research is to create a material that simultaneously has both a large gauge factor (G) and sensing range. However, a weakness in the area of electromechanical research is the lack of standardization in the reporting of the figure of merit (i.e., G) and the need for other intrinsic metrics to give researchers a more complete view of the research landscape of resistive-type sensors. A paradigm shift in the way in which data are reported is required, to push research in the right direction and to facilitate achieving research goals. Here, we report a standardized method for reporting strain-sensing performance and the introduction of the working factor (W) and the Young’s modulus (Y) of a material as figures of merit for sensing materials. Using this standard method, we can define the benchmarks for an optimum sensing material (G > 7, W > 1, Y < 300 kPa) using limits set by standard commercial materials and the human body. Using extrapolated data from 200 publications normalized to this standard method, we can review what composite types meet these benchmark limits, what governs composite performances, the literary trends in composites, and the future prospects of research.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

ACS Nano

ISSN

1936-0851

Publisher

American Chemical Society

Issue

12

Volume

13

Page range

13627-13636

Department affiliated with

  • Physics and Astronomy Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2019-11-27

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2020-11-26

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2019-11-26

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