Light-driven textile sensors with potential application of UV detection

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Textile Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Smart textiles offer advanced solutions for healthcare and environmental monitoring.
• Developing functional textiles requires innovative material modifications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To modify cotton fabrics (CFs) with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and spiropyran (SP) for UV light detection.
• To investigate the effect of SP content on the properties and performance of modified CFs.

Main Methods:

• Cotton fabrics were functionalized using a dipping-padding technique with RGO and SP.
• Morphological analysis was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
• Electrical resistance, surface wettability, and sweat sensitivity were measured before and after UV exposure.

Main Results:

• SEM revealed that SP content affects the coating topography on CFs.
• Textile sensor resistance decreased upon UV radiation due to enhanced electron transmission.
• Higher SP content led to discontinuous RGO distribution, hindering electron transmission.
• UV radiation altered surface wettability and sweat sensitivity of the modified textiles.

Conclusions:

• The RGO-SP modified CFs demonstrate potential as UV-sensitive textile sensors.
• SP concentration is a critical factor in tuning the electronic and physical properties of smart textiles.
• These functionalized textiles show promise for applications in health monitoring and environmental sensing.