Direct electrospun cellulose-based conductive nanofibres for electronic textiles

Abstract

With the rapid growth of wearable electronics, smart textiles and nanotechnology, there has been great interest on research leading to wearer friendly conductive nanofibres. In this study, electrospun cellulose nanofibres with carbon black nanoparticles as a conductive media was investigated. Cellulose with carbon black conductive nanofibrous mat was directly electrospun onto a polyurethane film, which was attached to a cotton woven fabric. The resultant layered structure was heat treated to bond the nanofibrous mesh to the fabric via a polyurethane layer. A considerable conductivity of 0.386 microsiemens per centimeter was achieved. To further enhance the conductivity, gold sputter coating was applied on top of the nanofibrous mat and it enabled to achieve a conductivity of 0.611 millisiemens per centimeter. Other functional properties of the resultant conductive fabric were comprehensively characterized to determine the wearable textile properties.