Highly resilient carbon nanotubes/ poly (vinylidene fluoride) colloidal coated knitted fabrics as proficient sensing and energy harvesting implements

Abstract

Textiles’ outlook has been shifting from ordinary clothing to smart fabrics owing to their potentials to be integrated with wearable electronics that ascertains the development of textile-based flexible sensors and energy harvesters. However, their integration into textiles, substantial sensing capability, and detection of biomotions in a self-powered mode are the main holdups in the development of wearable devices. In this context, a facile ceramic free piezoelectric coating on textile fabric has been reported where poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) has been utilized as a piezoelectric active component in reinforcement with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for enhancement of piezoelectric response. The directional alignment of PVDF chains has been realized and tailored by induction of various concentrations of CNTs. The developed PVDF/CNTs nanocomposite coatings exhibited 200% higher piezoelectric response as compared to pristine PVDF coatings. The device developed of PVDF/CNTs coated fabrics exhibited the promising potential to be used as a flexible and comfortable wearable device to sense the real-time movements of the finger and arm. Additionally, it can act as a pressure sensor by successfully demonstrating the signals at a low force of 10 g. The developed fabrics have shown promising comfort characteristics conformed through air permeability evaluation that exhibits their potential to be used in e-textiles.