From biological cilia to artificial flow sensors: biomimetic soft polymer nanosensors with high sensing performance

Mohsen Asadnia, Ajay Giri Prakash Kottapalli*, K. Domenica Karavitaki, Majid Ebrahimi Warkiani, Jianmin Miao, David P. Corey, Michael Triantafyllou

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

120 Citations (Scopus)
63 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

We report the development of a new class of miniature all-polymer flow sensors that closely mimic the intricate morphology of the mechanosensory ciliary bundles in biological hair cells. An artificial ciliary bundle is achieved by fabricating bundled polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) micro-pillars with graded heights and electrospinning polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) piezoelectric nanofiber tip links. The piezoelectric nature of a single nanofiber tip link is confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Rheology and nanoindentation experiments are used to ensure that the viscous properties of the hyaluronic acid (HA)-based hydrogel are close to the biological cupula. A dome-shaped HA hydrogel cupula that encapsulates the artificial hair cell bundle is formed through precision drop-casting and swelling processes. Fluid drag force actuates the hydrogel cupula and deflects the micro-pillar bundle, stretching the nanofibers and generating electric charges. Functioning with principles analogous to the hair bundles, the sensors achieve a sensitivity and threshold detection limit of 300 mV/(m/s) and 8 μm/s, respectively. These self-powered, sensitive, flexible, biocompatibale and miniaturized sensors can find extensive applications in navigation and maneuvering of underwater robots, artificial hearing systems, biomedical and microfluidic devices.

Original languageEnglish
Article number32955
Pages (from-to)1-13
Number of pages13
JournalScientific Reports
Volume6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 13 Sept 2016

Bibliographical note

Copyright the Author(s) 2016. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

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