2026-10-13T00:08:26Z https://www.scidb.cn/oai

10.57760/sciencedb.j00125.00239 2026-07-30T16:37:13Z

2026-07-30 Bidirectionally Frozen Carbon Aerogel Reinforced by Tetrapod ZnO Bridges for High-Performance Pressure Sensing doi:10.57760/sciencedb.j00125.00239 en The development of flexible pressure sensors that simultaneously achieve high sensitivity, mechanical robustness, and long-term stability remains challenging, particularly for biomass-derived carbon aerogels that are intrinsically brittle and prone to structural collapse. Herein, a structurally engineered cellulose-derived nitrogen-doped carbon aerogel with a “layer-support” architecture is developed via a bidirectional freezing strategy and reinforced with tetrapod-shaped ZnO whiskers (T-ZnOw). Bidirectional freezing converts a conventional random carbon framework into a mechanically stable parallel lamellar load-bearing network, enabling efficient and directional stress transfer. Nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets introduce defect-rich conductive pathways that enhance the piezoresistive response, while T-ZnOw functions simultaneously as rigid interlayer pillars and piezoelectric activation units. The “layer-support” architecture suppresses interlayer slippage and structural instability, enforcing cooperative deformation of the lamellar units. Owing to the modulus mismatch between the supports and carbon layers, applied stress is preferentially concentrated at predefined “layer-support” interfaces, generating localized high-stress regions. Consequently, small mechanical stimuli induce pronounced resistance variations, transforming stress into a geometrically controllable and functionally amplified signal carrier. To enhance device durability, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) impregnation is employed to form a conformal elastic constraint layer. The resulting aerogel sensor exhibits a high gauge factor of 34.4, an ultrahigh sensitivity of 248.41 kPa⁻¹ over a broad pressure range (0–19 kPa), fast response and recovery times (24/69 ms), and stable operation over 5000 loading–unloading cycles. The sensor reliably detects physiological signals and joint motions, demonstrating its potential for wearable and intelligent sensing applications. This work provides a scalable structural engineering strategy for improving the mechanical reliability and sensing performance of biomass-derived carbon aerogels. Cellulose-derived carbon aerogels; Hierarchical porous structure; Structural engineering; Wearable sensors 王一臣 PUBLIC https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ dataset Science Data Bank