Antibacterial, Antioxidative, Self-Healable, Recyclable, and Fire-Resistant Naringenin-Based Polyurethane/Go Composites for Wearable Strain Sensor

Abstract

With environmental concerns aggravation, wearable strain sensors based on vitrimer composite as polymer elastomer matrix have been attracted more and more attention due to the superior degradability, flexibility, and conductivity. However, most of the vitrimer composites derive from petroleum-based polymer networks, leading to rapid consumption of non-renewable petroleum and unsustainable industrial development, and most of them without antibacterial performances result in health problem. For the first time, a new type of bio-based polyurethane (PU)/graphene oxide (GO) composites with antibacterial performances were prepared from naringenin and vanillin by incorporating bio-based PU into IGO containing pendent -NCO groups during curing process for a flexible strain sensor. The resultant composites (IGO-PU) show muti-functionalities simultaneous containing conductivity (~6 ´ 10-3 S·m-1), fire resistance (LOI = 31.6%, V-0 UL-94 rating), oxidative stability (radical scavenging activity of 94%), antibacterial performances, self-healing (retention ratio in terms of tensile strength: 94%) and reprocessing (recovery ratio in terms of tensile strength: 95 %), which can greatly expand their application scenarios. It’s worth noting that the antibacterial performances of IGO-PU can protect human skin from bacterial attraction contributing to maintaining human health. Furthermore, the 3%-IGO-PU device also displays excellent sensing property (durability and stability), when it was applied in strain sensor. Therefore, 3%-IGO-PU shows potential application in reliable and sustainable strain sensors device.

Keywords: Polymer-matrix composites, Thermosetting resin, Recycling, Electrical properties