Piezoresistive Effect of Doped Carbon Nanotube/Cellulose Films

The strain-induced resistance changes in iodine-doped and undoped carbon nanotube films were investigated by a three-point bending test. Carbon nanotubes were fabricated by hot filament chemical vapor deposition. The experimental results showed that there has a striking piezoresistive effect in carbon nanotube films. The gauge factor for I-doped and undoped carbon nanotube films under 500 microstrain was about 125 and 65 respectively at room temperature, exceeding that of polycrystalline silicon (30) at 35°C. The origin of the piezoresistivity in the films may be ascribed to a strain induced change in the band gap for the doped tubes and to the intertube contact resistance for the undoped tubes.