Silver nanoparticles utilizing the surface plasmon resonance effect of silver have been used to color merino wool fibers as well as imparting antimicrobial and antistatic properties to them to produce a novel silver nanoparticle-wool composite material. This is accomplished by the reduction of silver ions in solution by trisodium citrate (TSC) in the presence of merino wool fibers or fabrics. The silver metal nanoparticles simultaneously bind to the amino acids of the keratin protein in the wool fibers using TSC as the linker. The colors of the resulting merino wool-silver nanoparticle composites range from yellow/brown to red/brown and then to brown/black, because of the surface plasmon resonance effect of silver, and are tuned by controlling the reduction of silver ions to silver nanoparticles to give the required particle size on the fiber surface. In addition to the surface plasmon resonance optical effects, the silver nanoparticle-wool composites exhibit effective antimicrobial activity, thus inhibiting the growth of microbes and also an increase in the electrical conductivity, imparting antistatic properties to the fibers. Therefore, silver nanoparticles function as a simultaneous colorant and antimicrobial and antistatic agent for wool. Chemical and physical characterizations of the silver nanoparticle-merino wool composite materials have been carried out using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction, atomic absorption spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, direct-current electrical conductivity measurements, wash-fast and rub-fast tests, and antimicrobial tests.

Smart textiles are fabrics able to sense external conditions or stimuli, to respond and adapt behaviour to them in an intelligent way and present a challenge in several fields today such as health, sport, automotive and aerospace. Electrically conductive textiles include conductive fibres, yarns, fabrics, and final products made from them. Often they are prerequisite to functioning smart textiles, and their quality determines durability, launderability, reusability and fibrous performances of smart textiles. Important part in smart textiles development has conductive polymers which are defined as organic polymers able to conduct electricity. They combine some of the mechanical features of plastics with the electrical properties typical for metals. The most attractive in a group of these polymers are polyaniline (PANI), polypyrrole (PPy) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) as one of the polythiophene (PTh) derivatives. Commercially available smart textile products where conductive polymers have crucial role for their development are medical textiles, protective clothing, touch screen displays, flexible fabric keyboards, and sensors for various areas. This paper is focused on conductive polymers description, mechanism of their conductivity, and various approaches to produce electrically conductive textiles for smart textiles needs. Commercial products of conductive polymers-based smart textiles are presented as well as the objective of a number of lab-scale items.

Polypyrrole and polyaniline conducting polymer composites with individual fibres of cellulose have been successfully prepared and characterised. For this, individual Kraft paper pulp fibres have been fully encapsulated with polypyrrole and polyaniline by direct polymerisation of the respective monomers using ferric chloride and ammonium persulfate as the oxidants. These novel conducting polymer/cellulose fibre composite materials exhibit the inherent properties of both components. They include the electrical and chemical properties of polypyrrole and polyaniline and the strength, flexibility and available surface areas of the cellulose fibre. This allows for interesting opportunities for the development of new added-value products in the paper and packaging industries. Additionally, by utilising the redox active surface of