Polyurethane/Carbon Nanotube-Based ThermoSense Electronic Skin: Perception to Decision Making Aided by Internet of Things Brain.

Human skin has several receptors collaborating with the brain to provide appropriate "decisions" when applying stimuli. Several research articles state that biomimetic electronic skin (e-skin) is reportedly used for sensor-related applications and performs similarly to natural skin. However, research reporting the capability of the e-skin to make decisions and therefore react upon exposure to adverse conditions is still in its nascent stage.

Cross-Talk Signal Free Recyclable Thermoplastic Polyurethane/Graphene-Based Strain and Pressure Sensor for Monitoring Human Motions.

Developing a sensor that can read out cross-talk free signals while determining various active physiological parameters is demanding in the field of point-of-care applications. While there are a few examples of non-flexible sensors available, the management of electronic waste generated from such sensors is critical. Most of such available sensors are rigid in form factor and hence limit their usability in healthcare monitoring due to their poor conformity to human skin.

Influence of Ultraviolet Radiation on Mechanical Properties of a Photoinitiator Compounded High Vinyl Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene Block Copolymer.

Ultraviolet curing of elastomers is a special curing technique that has gained importance over the conventional chemical crosslinking method, because the former process is faster, and thus, time-saving. Usually, a suitable photoinitiator is required to initiate the process. Ultraviolet radiation of required frequency and intensity excites the photoinitiator which abstracts labile hydrogen atoms from the polymer with the generation of free radicals.

Facile Synthesis and Characterization of Few-Layer Multifunctional Graphene from Sustainable Precursors by Controlled Pyrolysis, Understanding of the Graphitization Pathway, and Its Potential Application in Polymer Nanocomposites.

The key feature of the present work is the dexterous utilization of an apparently destructive process, pyrolysis, for the synthesis of the most esteemed nanomaterial, graphene. This work is an attempt to synthesize graphene from nonconventional sources such as tannic acid, alginic acid, and green tea by a controlled pyrolysis technique. The precursors used in this work are not petroleum-derived and hence are green.

Self-healable hydrophobic polymer material having urethane linkages a non-isocyanate route and dynamic Diels-Alder 'click' reaction.

Conventional synthesis of polyurethane (PU) often involves the use of inherently toxic and overly moisture-sensitive isocyanates. Herein, we report the preparation of a self-healable hydrophobic polymer network having urethane linkages via a facile non-isocyanate route based on carbonylimidazole-amine reaction and dynamic Diels-Alder (DA) 'click' reaction based on furan-maleimide cycloaddition. This isocyanate-free DA 'clicked' polymer material showed excellent self-healing and hydrophobic characteristics.

Effect of Prestrain on the Actuation Characteristics of Dielectric Elastomers.

Dielectric elastomers (DEs) represent a class of electroactive polymers that deform due to electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged electrodes under a varying electric field. Over the last couple of decades, DEs have garnered considerable attention due to their much-coveted actuation properties. As far as the precise measurement systems are concerned, however, there is no standard instrument or interface to quantify various related parameters, e.

On-demand tuned hazard free elastomeric composites: A green approach.

Rising ecological concerns and depletion of the potentially harmful environmental impacts caused by rubber products, are of prime importance in the industry. Therefore, implementation of sustainable greener materials is required to minimize the detrimental influences. In this research, we investigated the beneficial influence of naturally derived bio-resin toward the effects of association with Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles in highly dispersible silica (HDS) reinforced Natural rubber (NR)/Epoxidized Natural Rubber (ENR)-based composites.