Iota Silicone Oil (Anhui) Co., Ltd
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A significant research breakthrough in fluorosilicone rubber (FSR) functionalization was published in early 2026 in the prestigious journal Applied Surface Science (Volume 727). The study, titled "Synergistic enhancement of dielectric and mechanical properties in fluorosilicone rubber via liquid metal/carbon nanotubes hybrids for flexible capacitive sensors," opens new pathways for fluorosilicone rubber applications in intelligent sensing, flexible electronics, and robotic tactile perception .
The research team prepared liquid metal (LM) particles coated with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) via an ultrasonic-assisted process and incorporated these LM/CNT hybrids into a fluorosilicone rubber matrix to form LM/CNT/FSR nanocomposites. Experimental results demonstrated that CNTs were uniformly coated onto the LM surface through ultrasonication, achieving excellent compatibility between the hybrids and the FSR matrix .
The performance metrics achieved are remarkable. As LM content increased, both tensile strength and dielectric constant of the LM/CNT/FSR nanocomposites increased simultaneously without compromising flexibility. Specifically, the composite achieved a high dielectric constant of 28.83 at 1 kHz, while maintaining a low dielectric loss tangent of 0.38 at 1 kHz and a low elastic modulus of 1.82 MPa . This combination of "high dielectric constant + low loss + low modulus" is extremely rare in conventional dielectric elastomers.
The flexible capacitive sensor fabricated from this composite demonstrated a high sensitivity coefficient of 0.354 kPa⁻¹, a response time of 260 ms, and stable performance over 1,000 cycles . These exceptional sensing properties position the material for broad applications in robotic tactile sensing, wearable health monitoring devices, and intelligent prosthetics.
The significance of this research extends beyond academic achievement. It addresses a long-standing challenge in flexible capacitive sensor fabrication: simultaneously achieving enhanced dielectric properties and flexibility through a facile method. Fluorosilicone rubber, with its inherent chemical resistance, wide-temperature-range stability, and excellent flexibility, serves as an ideal matrix material for this composite system. The research team noted that this work provides a facile and effective strategy for developing high-performance dielectric elastomers, showing great potential for applications in flexible capacitive sensing .
As artificial intelligence and robotics technologies rapidly advance, endowing machines with tactile sensing capabilities has become a critical direction in human-robot interaction research. This breakthrough in fluorosilicone rubber-based flexible sensors is expected to drive performance leaps in dexterous hands, medical robots, and bionic prosthetics, opening a substantial new growth market for fluorosilicone rubber beyond its traditional role as a "sealing material."
