Hybrid Nanoarchitectonics with Conductive Polymer-Coated Regenerated Cellulose Fibers for Green Electronics

Abstract

Green electronics based on biodegradable polymers have received considerable attention as a solution to electronic waste (e-waste). Herein, we describe an efficient approach to constructing green conductive fibers, comprising poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and regenerated cellulose (RC), via a wet-spinning process and vapor-phase polymerization (VPP). Eco-friendly RC fibers were prepared as a support layer by wet spinning, and the conductive PEDOT layers were coated onto the surface of the RC fibers by the oxidation of EDOT monomers. We demonstrated that the vapor-phase-polymerized PEDOT/RC composite fibers (PEDOT/RC-VPP) exhibited approximately 17 times higher electrical conductivity (198.2 ± 7.3 S/cm), compared with that of the solution-phase-polymerized PEDOT/RC composite fibers (PEDOT/RC-SPP, 11.6 ± 0.6 S/cm). Importantly, PEDOT/RC-VPP exhibited a high tensile strength of 181 MPa, good flexibility, and long-standing electrical stability under ambient air conditions. Moreover, the obtained PEDOT/RC-VPP under 50% strain turned on a green light-emitting diode (LED), indicating the flexibility and stability of green conductive fibers. This strategy can be easily integrated into various electronic textiles for the development of next-generation wearable green electronics.

Stretch-Induced Robust Intrinsic Antibacterial Thermoplastic Gelatin Organohydrogel for a Thermoenhanced Supercapacitor and Mono-gauge-factor Sensor

“…Conductive organohydrogels have attracted tremendous attention in flexible electronics and energy storage due to their virtues of stretchability, high environmental stability, and fair conductivity. − Actually, stretchable and conductive hydrogels are the essential substrates for flexible electronics. − However, flexible electronics based on organohydrogels, such as supercapacitors and hydrogel-based strain sensors, suffer defects: the multistage gauge factor cause complex signal processing, and the combination of different electronic units will result in mechanical mismatches and/or low binding strengths at the connection interfaces . The low interfacial reaction would evoke the high interface resistance, which would deteriorate the electromechanical performances and enlarge the energy loss. , Most previously reported organohydrogel flexible electronics to date, such as supercapacitors, can be divided into two types: the organohydrogel-electrode separation binary system and the “all-in-one” system. , The first model is more popular because of its diversification and high electrochemical performance. − Meanwhile, the strain sensors based on the detection of resistance changes caused by shape variations upon stimulation of external forces also require a monolinear gauge factor and high interfacial reaction between the organohydrogel and the signal transmission device. − Another challenging issue for flexible electronics from petroleum-based polymers is their inability to be recycled after failure due to the chemical cross-linking bonds. , These nonbiodegradable and nonreusable components of devices produce massive amounts of electronic waste and cause environment issues. , Consequently, there is an urgent necessity for flexible electronics fabricated by organohydrogels with high interfacial compatibility and recycling for their further utilization by a new strategy.…”

“…23,24 These nonbiodegradable and nonreusable components of devices produce massive amounts of electronic waste 25 and cause environment issues. 26,27 Consequently, there is an urgent necessity for flexible electronics fabricated by organohydrogels with high interfacial compatibility and recycling for their further utilization by a new strategy. Macroscale mechanical interlocking is a convenient way to improve interfacial strength between the polymer matrix and metal device, and it has been used to provide enhanced connections in flexible electronics.…”

Machine Learning-Aided All-Organic Air-Permeable Piezoelectric Nanogenerator

“…As per the reported literature, the obtained VPP-coated insulting fibers demonstrate similar mechanical and conductive properties to that of conducting polymers. PEDOT as organic electrodes from VPP is a quite established technique due to its effectiveness (easy large area PEDOT coating with very less amount of EDOT (monomer), degree of conductivity, and stability) as electrodes. − This process is extremely useful to prepare the electrodes in electrospun samples and to fabricate the flexible devices and sensors in desirable size and shape. , It could be further useful to fabricate all-organic metal-free electrode-based wearable, breathable, and stretchable devices and sensors that could overcome the limitation and durability with metal electrodes . PEDOT is one of such conducting polymers with its high conductivity, flexibly, and biocompatibility.…”

Fabrication of Robust Paper-Based Electronics by Adapting Conventional Paper Making and Coupling with Wet Laser Writing

“…The key challenge for the scalable manufacturing of paper-based electronics is the precise patterning of conducting and non-conducting regions. The “traditional” approach to patterned paper is to start with a non-conducting paper substrate and print functional materials (i.e., inks) that confer conductivity. ,− Such printing has been realized in many labs and successfully demonstrated the exciting opportunities for patterned paper in a range of applications. − There are concerns, however, associated with the reliability of printing in actual manufacturing, the stability of the paper substrate and printed pattern, and the reproducibility in the performance of such print-patterned papers. An emerging alternative approach is to adapt traditional paper manufacturing methods to generate a homogeneous composite paper that serves as a stable substrate for subsequent patterning of the conducting regions. − Previous studies indicate that such composite paper can be manufactured reliably with the resulting conducting paper being stable and reproducible.…”