Affiliations: [a] Department of Civil & Environmental
Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2125, USA | [b] Department of Chemical Engineering, University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2136, USA
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Jerome P. Lynch, Department of Civil
& Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan, 2350 Hayward
Street, GG Brown Rm #2380, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2125, USA. Tel.: +1 734 615
5290; Fax: +1 734 764 4292; E-mail: jerlynch@umich.edu
Abstract: This study presents a high-performance inductively coupled
multifunctional carbon nanotube thin film sensor for structural monitoring
applications. A versatile layer-by-layer self-assembly sensor fabrication
technique is employed to encode different sensing mechanisms (e.g., strain and
corrosion/pH) within one homogeneous thin film structure. Judicious selection
of various polyelectrolyte species, along with the incorporation of carbon
nanotubes, permits multifunctional sensing. Upon deposition of these thin films
on miniature planar coil antennas to form a resonant circuit, a passive
wireless sensor is realized. Unlike traditional cabled or wireless sensing
systems, the proposed passive sensor does not require a constant power source,
thereby rendering it ideally suited for embedment within structures.
