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PEDOT:PSS "Wires" Printed on Textile for Wearable Electronics
Yang Guo1, Michael T Otley2, Mengfang Li1
1Polymer Program, Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut , 97 North Eagleville Road, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, United States.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|September 16, 2016
Summary
Researchers created flexible, all-organic conductive wires on fabric using inkjet printing and sponge stencils. These durable poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) wires offer tunable resistance and maintain performance after washing.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Textile Engineering
Background:
- Developing flexible and wearable electronic components is crucial for next-generation devices.
- Traditional conductive materials often lack the flexibility, comfort, or biocompatibility required for textile integration.
- Conductive polymers offer a promising alternative due to their inherent flexibility and processability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate the fabrication of all-organic conductive wires on nonwoven polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabric.
- To investigate the use of patterning techniques like inkjet printing and sponge stencils for applying conductive polymers.
- To characterize the electrical properties, durability, and potential applications of the fabricated conductive textile wires.
Main Methods:
- Utilized inkjet printing and sponge stencil techniques to pattern poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrenesulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) onto PET fabric.
- Controlled polymer penetration depth to maintain textile functionality and wearability.
- Measured sheet resistance, breakdown current, and resistance stability after washing cycles.
Main Results:
- Achieved a wide range of tunable resistance values, from tens of kΩ/□ down to 1.6 Ω/□.
- Demonstrated high specific breakdown current exceeding previously reported macroscopic carbon nanotube materials.
- Fabricated simple circuits with printed wires, confirming agreement between measured and calculated resistances.
- Showed less than 6.2% change in sheet resistance after three washing and drying cycles.
Conclusions:
- Successfully fabricated all-organic conductive wires on PET fabric using scalable patterning techniques.
- The PEDOT:PSS wires exhibit excellent electrical properties, mechanical robustness, and washability, suitable for wearable electronics.
- This approach offers a versatile platform for integrating conductive elements into textiles for diverse electronic applications.
