Expert's Opinion

Penn State Spins Up New Flexible Material for Self-Powered Wearable Sensors

The material is based on PVDF-TrFE, a lightweight, flexible polymer known for its ability to generate an electric charge when pressed or bent.

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By: Jamie Oberdick

Writer/Editor Communications Coordinator, Penn State University

Via a technique known as electrospinning, researchers at Penn State weave new possibilities for health sensors that can be part of clothing made with nanofiber materials that generate electricity from the wearer’s motion to power them. (Credit: Jennifer M. McCann. All Rights Reserved)

Could clothing monitor a person’s health in real time, because the clothing itself is a self-powered sensor? A new material created through electrospinning, which is a process that draws out fibers using electricity, brings this possibility one step closer.  A team led by researchers at Penn State developed a new fabrication approach that optimizes the internal structure of electrospun fibers to improve their performance in electronic applications. They published their findings in the Journal...

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