Electronic textiles (E-textiles) are made using various materials including carbon nanotubes, graphene, and graphene oxide. Among the materials here, e-textiles are fabricated with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) coating on commercial textiles. rGO-based yarns are prepared for e-textiles by a simple dip coating method with subsequent non-toxic reduction. To enhance the conductivity, the rGO yarns are coated with poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene): poly(styrenesulfonic acid) (PEDOT) followed by electrochemical polymerization of polypyrrole (PPy) as the electromechanically active layer, resulting in textile actuators. The rGO-based yarn actuators are characterized in terms of both isotonic displacement and isometric developed forces, as well as electron microscopy and resistance measurements. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that both viscose rotor spun (VR) and viscose multifilament (VM) yarns can be used for yarn actuators. The resulting VM-based yarn actuators exhibit high strain (0.58%) in NaDBS electrolytes. These conducting yarns can also be integrated into textiles and fabrics of various forms to create smart e-textiles and wearable devices. A simple graphene oxide, PEDOT:PSS and PPy coated textile-based soft actuator is presented that shows good electrochemical strain and force. This opens a new perspective in the development of textile yarns with enhanced conductivity and/or actuation with possible applications in the field of smart textile materials.image
Funding Agencies|Horizon 2020 Framework Programme [202-00054]; Erling-Persson Family Foundation [A21029]; Promobilia Foundation [825232]; European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation program