The research team led by Kim Byeong-hoon, professor at Incheon University and Jin Hyeong-joon, professor at Inha University developed this technology. The team coated graphene oxide without a medium by dipping silk in a graphene oxide solution and letting it dry, repeatedly. Also, heat was used to accelerate the process of reduction into an electronic textile.
The new silk-based electronic textile continued to maintain an electric conductivity of around 10 S/m, similar to the existing ones and was not deformed much even after it was washed and bent. The new technique can be used to develop flexible display panels, sensors that can detect harmful substances and wearable gadgets among other things, according to a leading Korean daily.
Electronic textiles have been used in various wearable devices, biometric garments and combat uniforms among other things. However, high manufacturing costs and complex manufacturing processes were the reason why electronic textiles showed little progress so far.
The details of this research were published in the Advanced Materials journal. (KD)
Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India