Ultralight and flexible silver nanoparticle-wrapped “scorpion pectine-like” polyimide hybrid aerogels as sensitive pressor sensors with wide temperature range and consistent conductivity response

The demand for sensitive pressure sensors is increasing due to the rapid development of intelligent electronic equipment in high-tech fields such as aerospace and transportation. However, the high-temperature conditions encountered in aerospace applications pose challenges to the performance of flexible sensing materials used in related equipment. In this context, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)-wrapped polyimide (PI) hybrid aerogels (PI/AgNPs aerogels) with scorpion pectine-like microstructures (SPM) were fabricated by freeze-drying the precursor solution, followed by a thermal imidization reaction and a dipping process with a AgNPs solution. The SPM grew vertically on the layered structure with a height between 20 and 40 μm. These PI/AgNPs provided sufficient structural strength as a support while providing recovery and contact points. The AgNPs were uniformly dispersed on the SPM (with a thickness of 78–120 nm on PI/AgNPs-1). The SPM-interface secondary response structure was used to realize an electrical response in a broad tension (the PI/AgNPs-2 aerogel has changed from −15.63 kPa under 30 % tensile stress to 69.25 kPa under 70 % compression stress). The hybrid aerogels had excellent sensing performance, including good resistance change (89 %), ultra-high sensitivity (6.9 kPa −1 ), the ability to detect different deformations (compression, tension, and bending), and low fatigue after 3000 load-unload cycles. In addition, these aerogels were able to withstand high temperatures up to 250 °C, and they showed good conductivity response consistency at high and room temperatures. These PI/AgNPs aerogels can be used as sensors in extreme conditions such as in aeroengine peripheral electronics for sensing and detecting external loads.