TEXTILES.ORG
Researchers in England have created flexible, biodegradable inkjet-printed sensors for smart textiles they call Smart, Wearable, and Eco-friendly Electronic Textiles (SWEET). Potential future uses include monitoring devices integrated into performance sportswear or home medical-device garments. The materials included Tencel™ lyocell as the substrate and PEDOT:PSS conductive composite polymer and graphene for the electronics. Both the graphene and PEDOT:PSS were inkjet-printed onto the fabric and were water-based.
The researchers attached the sensors to gloves, and the sensors reliably measured both heart rate and temperature, with the data transmitted wirelessly. The scientists also buried the e-textiles in soil to measure biodegradability after one and four months.
Upcoming work will look at designing wearable garments for health care applications, particularly in detection and prevention of heart-related diseases, “and this area of research necessitates further study to determine their impact on soil
eco-systems,” the study notes.
The research appears in Energy and Environmental Materials, published Dec. 18, 2024. Partners on this project include the University of Southampton, University of the West of England Bristol, University of Bath, University of Leeds, University of Exeter and University of Cambridge.