Self-Supported Composite Textiles for Ultrasensitive Physiological Monitoring

Flexible pressure sensors provide a versatile platform for acquiring information from the surrounding environment and the human body. Nevertheless, their high fabrication costs and narrow pressure measurement ranges challenge high-sensitivity pressure detection, significantly hindering their adaptability to diverse physiological activities. Herein, we report a self-supported composite textile (SCT) developed via a combination of electrospinning and high-temperature carbonization. The incorporation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) endows the conducting framework with superior mechanical and electrical properties. The influence of the CNT doping ratio, carbonization temperature, and electrospinning duration on sensing performance was systematically investigated. The optimized ultrasensitive flexible pressure sensor (UFPS) achieved a remarkable sensitivity of 64.23 kPa –1 across a wide pressure range of 0–40 kPa with rapid response and recovery times (98/17 ms). Meanwhile, the device exhibited excellent durability, maintaining only a 2.43% signal decay after 5000 loading/unloading cycles under 0.5 kPa pressure. The fabricated UFPS effectively monitored various physiological signals over a broad pressure range, demonstrating considerable potential for applications in intelligent healthcare, human–machine interfaces, and the Internet of Things (IoT).