Superhydrophobic,\nMultifunctional, and Mechanically\nDurable Carbon Aerogel Composites for High-Performance Underwater\nPiezoresistive Sensing

Carbon aerogel piezoresistive sensors (CAPSs), owing\nto their good\nthermal stability, self-constructed conductive network, and fast response\nto pressure, have attracted extensive attention in the field of flexible\nand wearable electronics in recent years. However, it is still a great\nchallenge for CAPSs to monitor subtle deformations and achieve high-performance\nunderwater piezoresistive sensing. Herein, a superhydrophobic and\nelectrically conductive carbon aerogel composite (CAC) was fabricated\nby the combination of fluorination of carbon aerogels and decoration\nof fluorinated halloysite nanotubes (HNTs). Due to the exceptional\nlight absorption and excellent photothermal conversion performance,\nCAC has a fast and accurate response to temperature with a high-temperature\ncoefficient of resistance (TCR) of −1.06%/°C. The resistance\nof CAC exhibits a linear response toward compressive strain up to\n80% with a high gauge factor of −1.24. Significantly, the CAC\nsensor can effectively detect tiny deformations, thanks to its excellent\nwaterproof performance, and it enables stable output of sensing signals\nin an underwater environment. This work provides new insights into\nthe development of superhydrophobic, multifunctional, and mechanically\ndurable piezoresistive sensors with potential applications in underwater\nflexible electronics.