Abstract
High-performance stretchable conductive fibers are desired for the development of stretchable electronic devices. Here we show a simple spinning method to prepare conductive hydrogel fibers with ordered polymer chain alignment that mimics the hierarchically organized structure of spider silk. The as-prepared sodium polyacrylate hydrogel fiber is further coated with a thin layer of polymethyl acrylate to form a core–shell water-resistant MAPAH fiber. Owing to the coexistence and reversible transformation of crystalline and amorphous domains in the fibers, MAPAH fibers exhibit high tensile strength, large stretchability and fast resilience from large strain. MAPAH fiber can serve as a highly stretchable wire with a conductive hydrogel core and an insulating cover. The stretchability and conductivity of the MAPAH fiber are retained at −35 °C, indicating its anti-freezing property. As a prime example of stretchable conductive fibers, MAPAH fibers will shed light on the design of next generation textile-based stretchable electronic devices.
Highlights
High-performance stretchable conductive fibers are desired for the development of stretchable electronic devices
The simultaneous achievements of these prime properties by MAPAH fibers are attributed to the coexistence and reversible transformation of crystalline and amorphous domains in hydrogel fibers, which are enabled by the spinning and gelation process
Upon drawn from the gel-like solution, orientation and crystallization of PAAS chains proceed effectively along the fiber direction to form crystalline domains as physical crosslinking points. These crystalline domains are connected by soft amorphous domains, which could be similar to the structure of spider dragline silk[26]
Summary
Upon cooling to room temperature, a clear phase transition process was observed, indicating a critical concentration of DMSO in the range of 20–22 wt%. The optimal solution for PAH fiber preparation has DMSO% = 20 wt%, which is very close to the critical DMSO concentration for the phase transition. PAAS in the filament rapidly aggregated to form a fine PAH fiber, while the excess aqueous solution can automatically form liquid droplets due to surface tension (Fig. 1a). PAH fibers are elastic and sticky, which can be used to weave a web that mimics a spider web
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