Multifunctional textiles have emerged as a significant
area of
research due to their growing importance and diverse applications.
The main requirement for these fabrics is electroconductivity, which
is usually gained by incorporating conductive materials such as graphene
into the textile structure. In this article, an electrochemical method
was demonstrated to integrate different loadings of reduced graphene
oxide (rGO) into fabrics for enhanced electrical conductivity. The
process involves spray coating of graphene oxide (GO) onto the fabric,
followed by in situ electrochemical reduction of GO, resulting in
a coating layer of rGO nanosheets. The rGO-coated fabric exhibited
exceptional Joule-heating capabilities, achieving 127 °C under
a 9 V direct voltage with only 770 μg/cm2 of rGO
loading. Moreover, the antibacterial properties of the rGO-coated
fabric were demonstrated, showing a significant reduction rate of
over 99.99% against both Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli. Joule-heating
and antibacterial performances of the rGO-coated fabric were investigated
over eight repeated cycles, demonstrating excellent repeatability.
The simplicity of the fabrication method, along with the electrothermal
and antibacterial effects of the rGO-coated fabric, makes it a promising
material for various practical applications.