Nanofiber Core-Spun Yarn with a Bioinspired Neuron-like Conductive Network for High-Sensitivity Wearable Sensing

Abstract

Wearable e-textiles require yarn-level sensors that are simultaneously conductive, deformable, durable, and weavable. Many existing yarns that depended on multicoating or high filler loading often suffer from compromised flexibility and signal stability under repeated deformation. Herein, inspired by neurons, we develop a nanofiber core-spun yarn (PCP-NHY) featuring a bioinspired neuron-like conductive network through a stepwise interfacial engineering process, including electrospinning of PAN nanofibers, ultrasonic impregnation of CNTs, and in situ polymerization of pyrrole. In this conductive network, the granular PPy distributed on the PAN nanofiber network acts as neuronal somas, interconnected by CNTs that serve as axons, thus enabling efficient charge transport at low filler content while preserving mechanical flexibility. After helical wrapping onto a spandex core, the resulting elastic sensing yarn demonstrates high-performance strain-sensing capabilities, characterized by a high gauge factor of 5.73, a rapid response time (∼70 ms), and stable outputs over 5000 cycles at 40% strain. It supports real-time detection of both subtle and large-scale human motions, including facial microexpressions, Morse-code inputs, and multijoint movements. Meanwhile, two-dimensional textiles incorporating PCP-NHY yarns also exhibit outstanding sensing performance. This neuron-inspired material-structure design may provide an effective strategy to convert conventional yarns into robust, intelligent textile systems for advanced wearable sensing.