Stretchable Conductive Fabric Enabled By Surface Functionalization of Commercial Knitted Cloth

Abstract

Textile-based stretchable electronic devices are one of the best candidates for future wearable applications, as they can simultaneously provide high compliance and wearing comfort to the human body. Stretchable conductive textile is the fundamental building block for constructing high-performance textile-based stretchable electronic devices. Here, we report a simple strategy for the fabrication of stretchable conductive fabric using commercial knitted cloth as a substrate. Briefly, we coated the fibers of the fabric with a thin layer of poly(styrene-block-butadiene-block-styrene) (SBS) by dip-coating. Then, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were loaded on the fabric by sequential absorption and in situ reduction. After loading AgNPs, the conductivity of the fabric could be as high as ∼800 S/m, while its maximal strain at break was higher than 540%. Meanwhile, such fabric also possesses excellent permeability, robust endurance to repeated stretching, long-time washing, and mechanical rubbing or tearing. We further approve that the fabric is less cytotoxic to mammalian skin and antibacterial to microbial, making it safe for on-skin applications. With these multifarious advantages, the fabric developed here is promising for on-skin wearable applications. As a proof-of-concept, we demonstrate its use as an electrode for collecting electrocardiograph signals and electrothermal therapy.

Textile Electronics with Laser-Induced Graphene/Polymer Hybrid Fibers

“…This value increased because of the surface carbonization caused by GO reduction and LIG formation, which is in agreement with Raman spectroscopy results. The C 1s region (Figure 2d) was deconvoluted into four components, with the dominant sp 3 and sp 2 -hybridized carbon in the forms of C−C and C�C (284.5 ± 0.1 eV) bonds, which is typical for graphene materials. 26 The direct and most valuable effect we obtained from GO reduction was the drastic change in electrical properties.…”

“…In this context, an attractive concept is the development of sensors integrated into everyday clothes to ensure direct contact with the skin, reliable sensing, and continuous monitoring of health indicators . Introducing electrical conductivity to the textiles upgrades the conventional fabrics to the level of wearable sensor platforms . Up to date, one of the most efficient ways to achieve this is the metallization of textiles that exhibits the values of sheet resistance down to 0.02 Ω/sq, while maintaining the original knitted fiber structure .…”

Toward a new generation of permeable skin electronics

“…Other methods to fabricate yarn/fabric-based breathable skin-mountable electronics include nonwoven, 116 knitting, 105,117,118 embroidery, 106 and printing. 107,119,120 Here, we discuss the nonwoven technique.…”

“…In addition, these devices were employed for gesture recognition and harvesting energy from water droplets. 115 Other methods to fabricate yarn/fabric-based breathable skin-mountable electronics include nonwoven, 116 knitting, 105,117,118 embroidery, 106 and printing. 107,119,120 Here, we discuss the nonwoven technique.…”

Skin-Friendly and Wearable Iontronic Touch Panel for Virtual-Real Handwriting Interaction

“…Textiles, as a symbol of human civilization, is named as the second skin of the human body with reasonable skin-friendly wearing experience. − Among them, silk knitted fabrics are widely used in garments with good biocompatibility stability of the human epidermis microenvironment even under long-term wearing . Besides, silk knitted fabric can be modified in various paths to obtain electrical conductivity without sacrificing mechanical properties. − Herein, this work proposes an in-suit growing technology to integrate ionic hydrogel and silk knitted fabric, fabricating a skin-friendly and wearable iontronic touch panel with ultrahigh touch resolution and deformation insensitive features (Figure a,b). This fabrication strategy can endow the iontronic touch panel with high strength (114 MPa).…”