Heredia-Rivera Ulisses, Krishnakumar Akshay, Kasi Venkat, Rana Muhammad Masud, Gopalakrishnan Sarath, Nejati Sina, Gundala Gagan, Barnard James P, Wang Haiyan, Rahimi Rahim
School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USA
Birck Nanotechnology Centre, Purdue University West Lafayette IN 47907 USA.
J Mater Chem C Mater. 2024 Jul 5;12(31):11861-11876. doi: 10.1039/d4tc00844h. eCollection 2024 Aug 8.
Wearable electronics have become integral for monitoring physiological parameters in diverse applications, particularly in medical and military fields. e-Textiles, featuring integrated conductive threads or fabrics, offer seamless integration and comfort for prolonged contact with the body. Despite their potential, the biofouling of textile-based electrode systems by skin microbes remains a significant challenge, limiting their operational lifespan. Recent studies have highlighted the efficacy of conductive nanocomposites with antibacterial agents, such as silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), in addressing biofouling concerns. However, implementing such systems on 3D fibrous structures and textile surfaces often proves complex and inefficient. To overcome these challenges, we explored cold atmospheric plasma (CAP)-based polymerization for the direct deposition of functional conductive polypyrrole-silver (PPy-Ag) nanocomposites onto conductive textile surfaces. For this process, a customized CAP deposition system was engineered, enabling precise material deposition through robotic control of the plasma jet. This process achieved direct, conformal attachment onto textile fibrous structures, ensuring uniform distribution of conductive polypyrrole and silver in the form of AgNPs throughout the polymer polypyrrole matrix without compromising fabric flexibility and breathability, which was validated through different surface electron microscopy and chemical analysis (, EDX, FTIR, Raman, and XRD). Systematic studies with various precursor mixtures identified an optimized PPy-Ag composition that demonstrated stable antibacterial properties and biocompatibility against common skin microbes and epithelial cells. Systematic studies with various precursor mixtures identified an optimized PPy-Ag composition, with the precursor mixture containing 96 wt% pyrrole and 4 wt% AgNO weight ratios as the optimal surface coating process, demonstrating stable antibacterial properties and biocompatibility against common skin microbes and epithelial cells respectively. As a proof of concept, the nanocomposite coating was applied to conductive carbon fabric surfaces as dry electrodes in a wearable garment for continues electrocardiography (ECG) monitoring over 10 days. Results revealed a significantly longer performance of the dry electrodes as comparable to standard gel-based Ag/AgCl electrodes (1 day) while providing less noise in ECG signal measurements from the subject, showcasing the potential of this technology for practical wearable applications. Envisioned as a groundbreaking solution, this technology opens new avenues for the scalable and effective integration of functional conductive circuits and sensors into everyday garments, ensuring prolonged and efficient performance in wearable electronics.
可穿戴电子产品在各种应用中,尤其是在医疗和军事领域,已成为监测生理参数不可或缺的一部分。具有集成导电纤维或织物的电子纺织品,为与身体长时间接触提供了无缝集成和舒适感。尽管它们具有潜力,但基于纺织品的电极系统被皮肤微生物生物污染仍然是一个重大挑战,限制了它们的使用寿命。最近的研究强调了含有抗菌剂的导电纳米复合材料,如银纳米颗粒(AgNPs),在解决生物污染问题方面的功效。然而,在三维纤维结构和纺织品表面实施这样的系统往往被证明是复杂且低效的。为了克服这些挑战,我们探索了基于冷大气等离子体(CAP)的聚合反应,用于将功能性导电聚吡咯 - 银(PPy - Ag)纳米复合材料直接沉积到导电纺织品表面。对于这个过程,设计了一个定制的CAP沉积系统,通过对等离子体射流的机器人控制实现精确的材料沉积。这个过程实现了在纺织纤维结构上的直接、保形附着,确保了导电聚吡咯和以AgNPs形式存在的银在整个聚合物聚吡咯基质中均匀分布,同时不影响织物的柔韧性和透气性,这通过不同的表面电子显微镜和化学分析(如EDX、FTIR、拉曼和XRD)得到了验证。对各种前驱体混合物的系统研究确定了一种优化的PPy - Ag组成,以前驱体混合物中含有96 wt%吡咯和4 wt% AgNO的重量比作为最佳表面涂层工艺,分别展示了对常见皮肤微生物和上皮细胞的稳定抗菌性能和生物相容性。作为概念验证,将纳米复合材料涂层作为干电极应用于可穿戴服装中的导电碳纤维织物表面,用于连续10天的心电图(ECG)监测。结果显示,与标准凝胶基Ag/AgCl电极(1天)相比,干电极的性能显著延长,同时在受试者的ECG信号测量中提供更少的噪声,展示了这项技术在实际可穿戴应用中的潜力。作为一个开创性的解决方案,这项技术为将功能性导电电路和传感器可扩展且有效地集成到日常服装中开辟了新途径,确保了可穿戴电子产品的长期高效性能。
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