Polydopamine Treated and PEDOT:PSS Coated Wash Durable Conductive Textiles for Wearable Applications

Fabrication of wash durable conductive textiles are one of the most critical issues for the production of wearable conductive textiles. Here, this manuscript has reported on a low-cost, and simple sensor fabrication method for producing electronically conductive textiles. Polydopamine (PODA) treated and untreated 100 % cotton plain woven fabrics were made electrically conductive with a mixture of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and ethylene glycol (EG) (70:30) solution through a dip-coating process. Strongly adhering the PEDOT:PSS and ethylene glycol coating yielded a low resistance of 278 Ω/sq for the coated fabrics without significant mechanical degradation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) studies revealed interactions between the cotton fibers and PEDOT:PSS. The coated fabrics were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). SEM imaging of the PEDOT:PSS:EG coated fabrics revealed slight texturing to the fibres due to the coating on PODA treated fabrics compared to the untreated coated fabrics. The PODA treated conductive cotton fabrics exhibited great durability against repeated multiple washing cycles. The tensile strength and mechanical properties of the conductive fabrics were also evaluated. Ageing effects of the conductive fabrics was also analyzed. Electrical resistance of the untreated fabrics increased by 51 % in 5 weeks compared to PODA treated fabrics due to controlled ageing under storage conditions. It is expected that the PEDOT:PSS:EG coated conductive fabrics fabricated by this process can be applied for healthcare applications.