Dual‐Biomimetic Y ₂ O ₃ Wrinkled Nanotube Arrays for Ultra‐Stable Humidity Sensing and Desert Groundwater Prospecting

ABSTRACT

The application of humidity sensors in emerging fields such as human–machine interaction is rapidly expanding, placing heightened demands on sensitivity, response/recovery time, and stability. However, due to the lack of effective structural design, most existing sensing materials often fail to simultaneously satisfy these requirements. Inspired by both the wrinkled structure of a camel's nose and the regular capillary network of a dog's nose. This study designed and fabricated a Y ₂ O ₃ wrinkled nanotubular array material. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and in situ Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FT–IR) confirmed that this dual‐bionic Y ₂ O ₃ nanotube array exhibits superior water molecule adsorption characteristics. Within a range of 11%–97% RH, the sensor demonstrates high response (17448), short response/recovery times (0.54/3.26 s), low hysteresis (1.4%), and excellent selectivity against interfering gases. After undergoing one hundred cycles of simulated harsh desert‑environment testing, both the sensor's microstructure and its response signals remained unchanged, confirming outstanding structural robustness. Furthermore, a visual water‑source localization module fabricated via micro‑electronic printing successfully achieved timely and accurate identification of subsurface water in arid environments. This work establishes microstructure engineering based on dual‑bionic concepts as an effective design paradigm for developing highly stable and sensitive humidity sensors, thereby opening new avenues for sensing applications under extreme natural conditions.