Synthesis of poly(3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene) coating on textiles by the vapor phase polymerization method

Abstract

In this article, plain weave fabrics of polyester were functionalized by means of a polymeric coating synthesized for high conductivity, using the vapor phase polymerization method. The method is considerably more efficient and sustainable than traditional wet methods and has been previously applied to synthesize poly(3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene) in yarns and fabrics, using oxidant agents with organic solvents. In this article, aqueous oxidant solutions were used in addition to those based in ethanol, providing textile substrates with high electrical conductance. The effect of the concentration of the oxidant solution on the electrical and mechanical characteristics of the samples was investigated and correlated to their morphology, analyzed by electron microscopy imaging. A strong decrease of the sheet resistivity of the samples with the concentration of oxidant increase was obtained, while the fabrics’ original mechanical tenacity remained unchanged. The sheet resistivity of the samples could be further decreased by a factor of 5 by the application of multiple polymerization layers and was a function of the conjugated polymer content. The effect of washing/drying cycles on the electrical conductance of the samples is presented. The electrical and mechanical characteristics obtained have potential for smart textile applications such as electromagnetic shielding and physiological sensing.

Conductive Textiles via Vapor-Phase Polymerization of 3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene

“…Such behavior was also observed in other VPP-based textiles. 21 The higher pH value of deionized water is the driving force for the increase in the surface resistivity of the fabrics. 24 It is known that the conductivity of PEDOT is retained at pH ∼1.…”

“…Therefore, the VPP method is more economical and efficient than wet methods. 20,21 2. EXPERIMENTS 2.1.…”

Functional polyester fabric/polypyrrole polymer composites for electromagnetic shielding: Optimization of process parameters

“…Intrinsically conducting polymers (ICPs) are attractive alternative for EM shielding. Since the discovery of ICPs in late 1970s, textile structures integrating ICPs for EMI shielding, as well as electrostatic discharge have been developed and evaluated by many papers [11–17]. These materials combine high electrical conductivity (as compared with carbons), ease processability, low density (e.g.…”

Textile sensing glove with piezoelectric PVDF fibers and printed electrodes of PEDOT:PSS

“…Generally, textile deposition of conductive materials, especially of conductive polymers such as PEDOT, often leads to poor durability to stretching and washing. 16–19 Screen printed textile electronics was studied from a durability perspective by Yang et al. and Kazani et al.…”