Ultrasensitive soft vibration sensors based on atomically thin metal dichalcogenide ribbon networks
- Chengyi Xu
- Xufan Li
- Lukas Felix Michalek
- Jaeho Park
- Eunyoung Kim
- Zhiyu Zhang
- Raymond R. Unocic
- Eric Tianjiao Zhao
- Wei-Chun Hsu
- Baiyu Shi
- Shuang Wu
- Yang Yang
- Avetik R. Harutyunyan
- Zhenan Bao
2026-03-20
The rapid progress of artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT) has driven growing demand for high-performance, skin-compatible vibration sensors capable of capturing subtle physiological and environmental signals. Low-dimensional materials offer unique advantages in sensitivity and flexibility, yet challenges remain in achieving high strain responsiveness, mechanical robustness, and large-area uniformity. Here, we report an ultrasensitive, low-profile, and stretchable vibration sensor based on large-area single-layer molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) ribbon networks (SLRNs) grown via a vapor-liquid-solid mechanism. Embedding SLRNs within a thermoplastic elastomer [styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS)] yields record-high sensitivity among MoS 2 -based sensors, with gauge factors up to 5300 at <1.6% strain. This response arises from nanocrack-mediated electron transport induced by the thermal expansion mismatch between MoS 2 and SEBS. The ~6-micrometer-thick sensors detect vibrations and acoustic signals over a wide frequency range (>500 hertz), enabling deconvolution of complex stimuli. This work establishes a path toward ultrathin, ultrasensitive wearable sensors for health care and robotic applications.