Silk Fibroin Protective Coating for Washable and Reusable Textile Electronics

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Textile Engineering
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Textile wearable electronics require robust protection for durability and washability.
• High-pressure carbon monoxide single-walled carbon nanotubes (HiPCO SWNTs) impart conductivity but are prone to washout.
• Silk fibroin (SF) is a biocompatible, biodegradable natural protein with potential for protective coatings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel method for protecting functionalized fabrics for wearable electronics.
• To enhance the stability and washability of electroconductive textiles using silk fibroin.
• To investigate the efficacy of crystallized silk fibroin as a protective layer for HiPCO SWNTs on fabric.

Main Methods:

• Fabric functionalization with varying amounts of HiPCO SWNTs.
• Coating the functionalized fabric with silk fibroin solution.
• Crystallization of silk fibroin using ethanol vapor to achieve water insolubility.
• Characterization using electrical resistance measurements, infrared and Raman spectroscopies, thermogravimetric analysis, and surface wettability tests.

Main Results:

• The silk fibroin coating effectively protected the HiPCO SWNTs on the fabric.
• The electrical resistance of the functionalized fabric did not increase significantly after silk fibroin coating.
• The crystallized silk fibroin coating enabled successful washing of the textile structure.
• Surface wettability analysis confirmed the protective layer formation.

Conclusions:

• Crystallized silk fibroin provides a stable, washable protective coating for electroconductive nanomaterials on textiles.
• This silk fibroin coating facilitates the development of durable and reusable textile wearable electronics.
• The method offers a promising approach for integrating electronics into fabrics for diverse applications.