Self-powered pressure sensor for ultra-wide range pressure detection

The next generation of sensors should be self-powered,maintenance-free,precise,and have wide-ranging sensing abilities.Despite extensive research and development in the field of pressure sensors,the sensitivity of most pressure sensors declines significantly at higher pressures,such that they are not able to detect a wide range of pressures with a uniformly high sensitivity.In this work,we demonstrate a single-electrode triboelectric pressure sensor,which can detect a wide range of pressures from 0.05 to 600 kPa with a high degree of sensitivity across the entire range by utilizing the synergistic effects of the piezoelectric polarization and triboelectric surface charges of self-polarized polyvinyldifluoride-trifluoroethylene (P(VDF-TrFE)) sponge.Taking into account both this wide pressure range and the sensitivity,this device exhibits the best performance relative to that of previously reported self-powered pressure sensors.This achievement facilitates wide-range pressure detection for a broad spectrum of applications,ranging from simple human touch,sensor networks,smart robotics,and sports applications,thus paving the way forward for the realization of next-generation sensing devices.Moreover,this work addresses the critical issue of saturation pressure in triboelectric nanogenerators and provides insights into the role of the surface charge on a piezoelectric polymer when used in a triboelectric nanogenerator.