Feifan Yang, Haoming Yang, Guangzu Zhang, Shiyi Xu, Lin Zhu, Xuetian Gong, Lulu Liu, Fangyuan Luo, Shuhan Xu, Chunlei Liu, Jianmin Wu, Shenglin Jiang, Kanghua Li, Lijie Dong, Xin Chen, Sulin Zhang, Yao Zhang, Qing Wang
Mechanical metamaterials exploit precise control of unit-cell geometry and their macroscopic organization to realize unusual properties. Expanding the capabilities of mechanical metamaterials to incorporate additional functionality remains a challenge. We describe 3D-printed metamaterials embedded with molecular ferroelectrics for use as self-powered pressure sensors. Our gradient lattice design allows for adaptive reconfiguration and controlled deformation-mode transitions, yielding a synergy of low modulus and high load-bearing capacity alongside a monotonic mechanical load-electrical signal response. Furthermore, we implement a modulus gradient in the metamaterials to enhance sensitivity in low-loading regions and extend the detection range across six orders of magnitude. With a combination of high sensitivity and broad detection range, the dual-gradient metamaterials overcome the limitations imposed by the inverse relationships in existing sensors.