We present a type of electronics that can be dissolved upon the presence of moisture within a controllable time scale.

Nanocomposite based wearable strain sensors hold promise for a variety of applications from human body motion detection to soft robotics. However, improving the sensitivity of strain sensors while keeping their stretchability (i.e., strain detection range) is still a grand challenge in this area. In this research, a highly efficient and scalable method was developed to enhance the sensitivity of a strain sensor based on carbon nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane (CNT/PDMS) nanocomposites. Through the introduction of porosity into the nanocomposites to form CNT/PDMS sponges using citric acid monohydrate particles, the sensitivity (GF = 15, strain (ε) > 15%; GF = 1.1, ε < 15%) is improved compared to the CNT/PDMS nanocomposites without a porous structure (GF = 3.2, ε > 10%; GF = 0.12, ε < 10%). The strain sensor based on the CNT/PDMS sponge not only shows the capability of monitoring human body motion, such as bending of a finger and elbow, speaking, drinking, and breathing, but also demonstrates potential applications in soft robotics, such as detection of the actuation of a dielectric elastomer.

Pressure sensors with high performance (e.g., a broad pressure sensing range, high sensitivities, rapid response/relaxation speeds, temperature-stable sensing), as well as a cost-effective and highly efficient fabrication method are highly desired for electronic skins. In this research, a high-performance pressure sensor based on microstructured carbon nanotube/polydimethylsiloxane arrays was fabricated using an ultra-violet/ozone (UV/O ₃ ) microengineering technique. The UV/O ₃ microengineering technique is controllable, cost-effective, and highly efficient since it is conducted at room temperature in an ambient environment. The pressure sensor offers a broad pressure sensing range (7 Pa–50 kPa), a sensitivity of ∼ −0.101 ± 0.005 kPa ⁻¹ (5000 cycles), which is attributed to the UV/O ₃ engineered microstructures that amplify and transfer external applied forces and rapidly store/release the energy during the PDMS deformation. The sensors developed show the capability to detect external forces and monitor human health conditions, promising for the potential applications in electronic skin.