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Development of cellulose-based conductive fabrics with electrical conductivity and flexibility
Hyunjin Kim1, Joon-Yeop Yi2,3, Byung-Gee Kim2,3,4
1Department of Clothing and Textiles, Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul, South Korea.
Plos One
|June 5, 2020
Summary
Researchers developed conductive cellulose fabrics using bacterial cellulose (BC) and chemical cellulose (CC) like methyl cellulose (MC). MC-PANI fabrics demonstrated superior electrical conductivity and flexibility, outperforming other cellulose types for advanced material applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Textile Engineering
Background:
- Developing flexible and conductive fabrics is crucial for advanced electronic applications.
- Cellulose, a renewable resource, offers potential as a base material for conductive textiles.
- Existing methods for creating conductive cellulose often face challenges in achieving optimal conductivity and flexibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and evaluate cellulose-based conductive fabrics with enhanced electrical conductivity and flexibility.
- To compare the performance of conductive fabrics derived from bacterial cellulose (BC) and various chemical celluloses (CC).
- To identify the optimal cellulose type for producing high-performance conductive fabrics.
Main Methods:
- In situ polymerization of aniline onto bacterial cellulose (BC) and three chemical celluloses: methyl cellulose (MC), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPMC), and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC).
- Characterization of the resulting conductive cellulose-aniline (PANI) composites using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy.
- Evaluation of electrical conductivity, flexibility, and crease recovery of the four types of conductive cellulose fabrics.
Main Results:
- The chemical cellulose-polyaniline (CC-PANI) composites exhibited more stable polymerization than bacterial cellulose-polyaniline (BC-PANI).
- Electrical conductivity for all fabrics ranged from 0.962 × 10⁻² S/cm to 2.840 × 10⁻² S/cm.
- Methyl cellulose-polyaniline (MC-PANI) demonstrated the highest electrical conductivity and superior flexibility and crease recovery compared to other cellulose types.
Conclusions:
- The type of cellulose significantly influences the electrical conductivity and flexibility of the resulting conductive fabrics.
- Methyl cellulose (MC) is the most suitable cellulose source for producing conductive fabrics with excellent electrical and mechanical properties.
- The developed MC-PANI conductive fabrics show promise for applications requiring both conductivity and flexibility.
