Correlation between Ionic Conductor Characteristics and Ionotronic Pressure Sensory Performance

Pressure sensors that detect mechanical deformation are essential components of wearable ionotronics. In this study, we investigate the correlation between the characteristics of polymeric ion conductors (termed ion gels) and ionotronic sensory performance. Film-type ion gels are straightforwardly created using a one-step photogelation strategy, and their characteristics are tuned by manipulating fundamental parameters. The ion gel properties are optimized for ionotronic pressure sensors, and high ionic conductivity is determined to be the primary physical parameter for achieving a high device performance. The resulting sensory performance includes high sensitivity (∼3.02 kPa–1), a wide detection range (∼100 kPa), and excellent reliability (>6,000 cycles). To further extend their practicality, 20 unit-cell arrays (4 × 5) are fabricated to enable the detection of spatial pressure distribution.