Improving the washability of conductive textiles by constructing a dually crosslinked polyvinyl alcohol network with silver nanowires

Abstract

Conductive textiles, as an important platform for developing wearable electronic devices, often face challenges related to washing to remove dirt while retaining conductivity. It is still a great challenge to manufacture textiles with high conductivity, washability and uniformity in an efficient and economical way. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) containing numerous hydroxyl groups allowing easy modification and crosslinking is a promising candidate for conductive textile construction. Herein, a stable composite ink with PVA as the matrix and silver nanowires (AgNWs) as the conductive filler for screen printing on textile surfaces is proposed. The composite conductive network endows the fabric with the highest conductivity up to 2087 S cm⁻¹ and a low percolation threshold of 0.025 mg cm⁻² for AgNW mass loading. The printed conductive pattern shows high uniformity even for a line width as small as 500 μm on fabric. The resistance change of conductive textiles washed at 60 °C for 1 h is reduced from 500 000% to 40%, thanks to the cooperation of a physically and chemically dually crosslinked polymer network with a conductive AgNW network. The prepared outperforming conductive textiles and their potential for mass production of patterned fabric electrodes provide a basis for further development of smart fabrics and wearable electronics.