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Durable Flexible Conductive Fiber Based on Cross-Linking Network Tannic Acid/Polypyrrole for Wearable Thermotherapy
Wenxin Li1,2,3, Yimeng Li1,2,3,4, Mengqi Shan1,2,3
1Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Advanced Textiles, College of Textiles, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|August 27, 2024
Summary
Researchers developed a new stretchable and conductive fiber using tannic acid and polypyrrole for smart textiles. This advanced material offers durable conductivity and intelligent responses for thermotherapy and health monitoring applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Textile Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Intelligent wearable textiles require durable and stable conductive fibers for applications like thermotherapy and health monitoring.
- Existing conductive fibers often lack sufficient stretchability and long-term stability.
- Polypyrrole (PPy) is a promising conductive polymer but requires enhancement for textile integration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a highly stretchable and conductive fiber with enhanced durability for intelligent wearable textiles.
- To investigate the role of tannic acid (TA) in improving the properties of polypyrrole (PPy) on polyurethane (PU) surfaces.
- To demonstrate the potential of the developed fiber in thermotherapy and human motion monitoring.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a stretchable conductive fiber by doping tannic acid (TA) into polypyrrole (PPy) on a polyurethane (PU) surface.
- Characterization of the fiber's conductivity, stretchability, and durability.
- Evaluation of the fiber's response to electrical, light, and deformation stimuli for thermotherapy and sensing capabilities.
- Fabrication of an all-in-one smart wearable system using textile molding technology.
Main Results:
- The developed PU/TA/PPy fiber exhibited high conductivity (0.89 ± 0.23 S/cm) and enhanced stretchability and durability.
- Tannic acid improved the interfacial interaction and adhesion of PPy on the PU surface.
- The fiber demonstrated intelligent thermotherapy functions, reaching 42 °C under 4 V and 54 °C under solar radiation.
- The fiber successfully monitored human movements, indicating potential for intelligent sensing equipment.
- An integrated PU/TA/PPy-based smart wearable system was fabricated for all-weather thermal therapy and motion detection.
Conclusions:
- A novel, highly stretchable, and durable conductive fiber based on tannic acid/polypyrrole was successfully developed.
- The developed fiber shows significant potential for advanced intelligent wearable textiles, particularly in thermotherapy and health monitoring.
- The fabrication technology and integrated system provide a foundation for future smart wearable device development.
