Fiber-assisted fabrication of polyimide/MXene aerogel for wearable piezoresistive sensing and thermal insulation

Fiber-assisted fabrication of Polyimide/MXene composite aerogel with lightness. • Excellent thermal insulation that enables infrared camouflage and fire protection. • Outstanding mechanical resilience and superior EMI SE (68.5 dB). • Reliable pressure sensing capability to accurately detecting human motion. Fabricating polymer aerogels that merge high electrical conductivity, mechanical elasticity, and enduring stability is a critical yet demanding objective. In this work, lightweight polyimide (PI)/MXene composite aerogels were synthesized through a straightforward, sustainable method utilizing PI fiber-assisted freeze-drying and subsequent thermal imidization. The resulting aerogels possess a unique segregated architecture, providing exceptional electrical conductivity alongside superior electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding (reaching 68.5 dB). Owing to their mechanical resilience and high conductivity, these aerogels function as dependable piezoresistive sensors for detecting human activity and physical signals, which can accurately detect pressures as low as 0.04 kPa (at 0.5% strain). Furthermore, their porous nature and minimal thermal conductivity ensure efficient heat insulation, making them promising for thermal regulation and fire safety applications. Overall, this study presents a scalable fabrication strategy and promotes the advancement of multifunctional aerogels for next-generation flexible electronic devices. Download: Download high-res image (194KB) Download: Download full-size image Fiber-assisted fabrication of Polyimide/MXene aerogels that has integrated EMI shielding with thermal insulation for wearable piezoresistive sensing