Highly Sensitive Strain Sensor Fabricated by Direct Laser Writing on Lignin Paper with Strain Engineering

Paper-based strain sensors (PSS) have broad prospects in disposable products due to their low cost and easy degradation as environmentally friendly materials. Herein, a strain sensor made of a laser-induced carbonization electrode is created by direct laser writing with filter paper. The conductivity and gauge factor (GF) of this strain sensor are improved by adding lignin and applying strain engineering. This enables the sensor to simultaneously satisfy high sensitivity (GF approximate to 408 and 91) for weak tension and compression strain, respectively, and with long-term reliability. The tensile strain GF factors of up to 201 are possible, even with a weak tensile strain of 0.00088%. Furthermore, the paper-based sensor for monitoring physiological activities like finger gestures, pulsing, swallowing, and eye blinking is demonstrated. The facile fabrication and superior performance of PSS fabricated by direct laser writing with strain engineering may pave the way for promising applications of flexible, portable, and wearable electronic devices.