An achiral disk-shaped molecule (2) having one imidazole unit was found to be assembled into long and twisted nanoscopic fibers having 10 - 100 nm width as shown by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). Compound 2 leads to spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking through the steric effect of imidazole units during the formation of one-dimensional stacks. The imidazole in 2 acts as a molecular adaptor to form hydrogen bonds and accumulate metal ions. The supramolecular connection of 2 with benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid through the hydrogen bonds exhibited a thermotropic liquid crystalline properties. Silver nanoparticles were deposited onto the self-assembled nanofibers by the photoreduction of silver ions.

Scalable conductive multifilament of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(4-styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) was fabricated by a coagulation of spinning dope solution in cold methanol. The multifilament was composed of uniform circular fibers with an average diameter of 60 AE 5 mm and showed good enough mechanical properties for textile processes while maintaining electronic conductivity. The PEDOT:PSS/PVA blended fibers displayed an actuation response when a voltage was applied in air and the foldable textiles based on the PEDOT:PSS/PVA blended fibers worked as flexible electrodes to detect human heartbeats. The organic conductive fibers can be a platform for lightweight wearable electronics. H. Miura et al./Foldable Textile Electronic Devices Using … ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS 2014, 16, No. 5

Shape-persistent and tough cellulose hydrogels were fabricated by a stepwise solvent exchange from a homogeneous ionic liquid solution of cellulose exposure to methanol vapor. The cellulose hydrogels maintain their shapes under changing temperature, pH, and solvents. The micrometer-scale patterns on the mold were precisely transferred onto the surface of cellulose hydrogels. We also succeeded in the spinning of cellulose hydrogel fibers through a dry jet-wet spinning process. The mechanical property of regenerated cellulose fibers improved by the drawing of cellulose hydrogel fibers during the spinning process. This approach for the fabrication of tough cellulose hydrogels is a major advance in the fabrication of cellulose-based structures with defined shapes.

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