Foams for Sensors

Polymeric foamfor sensors offers numerous advantages, such as low cost, flexible, wearable, can be used at room temperature, easy to process, and extremely sensitive. Therefore, sensors based on polymeric foam and their composites have attracted great interest from researchers in various fields of science and technology. Theelectrical, mechanical, and thermochemical properties of polymeric foams are usually improved by the addition of conductive fillers, which usually consist of carbonaceous materials such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, and carbon black. This chapter begins with a description of polymeric foams, their importance in sensor development, and their typical synthesis types. It then discusses some common applications of polymeric foams composites for various physical and chemical stimuli, such as gas sensors, humidity sensors, chemosensors, pressure and strain sensors, and temperature sensors. Finally, an analysis of the design and structural challenges of the polymeric foam composites for sensors and their prospects is presented.