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Published on: June 23, 2017
Robust Transparent Conductive Fibers Enabled by Ag-S Covalent Bonding Interface
Kainan Hong1, Yutao Lu1, Fuyao Huang1
1State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Institute of Fiber Materials and Devices, and Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Researchers developed durable, transparent conductive fibers for electronic textiles. These fibers use silver nanowires covalently bonded to disulfide-functionalized polyurethane, enhancing conductivity and stability for advanced wearable systems.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Transparent conductive fibers are crucial for next-generation wearable electronic textiles.
- Existing methods using coated nanomaterials on polymer fibers suffer from poor interfacial adhesion, leading to conductivity loss.
- This instability limits the performance and durability of electronic textiles under mechanical stress and environmental exposure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer high-performance transparent conductive fibers with enhanced interfacial adhesion and mechanical durability.
- To develop a novel interfacial strategy for improved compatibility between conductive networks and flexible polymer substrates.
- To demonstrate the integration of these fibers into functional electronic textile devices.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of transparent conductive fibers using disulfide-functionalized thermoplastic polyurethane and silver nanowires (AgNWs).
- Utilizing the reaction between AgNWs and disulfide groups to form robust Ag-S covalent linkages.
- Characterization of fiber conductivity, optical transmittance, and mechanical durability under bending, twisting, and abrasion.
Main Results:
- Achieved a balanced conductivity (2.7 × 10³ S/m) and optical transmittance (81%) in the novel fibers.
- Demonstrated superior mechanical durability, maintaining performance after 1000 cycles of harsh deformations.
- Successfully integrated fibers into electroluminescent fibers and display textiles, showing high brightness and stability.
Conclusions:
- The interfacial engineering strategy significantly improves the compatibility and stability of conductive networks in flexible polymers.
- The developed transparent conductive fibers offer a promising solution for high-performance, durable electronic textiles.
- This approach enables the creation of advanced wearable systems with enhanced optoelectronic functionalities.
