Stretchable Ultrasheer Fabrics as Semitransparent Electrodes for Wearable Light-Emitting e-Textiles with Changeable Display Patterns

Authors

Yunyun Wu, University of Windsor
Sara S. Mechael, University of Windsor
Cecilia Lerma, University of Windsor
R. Stephen Carmichael, University of Windsor
Tricia Breen Carmichael, University of Windsor

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-1-2020

Publication Title

Matter

Volume

2

Issue

4

First Page

882

Keywords

conductive fabrics, e-textiles, electroless metallization, gold-coated fabrics, knitted nylon/spandex fabric, light-emitting devices, MAP5: Improvement, stencil printing, stretchable ACEL devices, stretchable electronics, wearable electronics

Last Page

895

Abstract

Despite the development throughout human history of a wealth of textile materials and structures, the porous structures and non-planar surfaces of textiles are often viewed as problematic for the fabrication of wearable e-textiles and smart clothing. Here, we demonstrate a new textile-centric design paradigm in which we use the textile structure as an integral part of wearable device design. We coat the open framework structure of an ultrasheer knitted textile with a conformal gold film using solution-based metallization to form gold-coated ultrasheer electrodes that are highly conductive (3.6 ± 0.9 Ω/sq) and retain conductivity to 200% strain with R/R0 < 2. The ultrasheer electrodes produce wearable, highly stretchable light-emitting e-textiles that function to 200% strain. Stencil printing a wax resist provides patterned electrodes for patterned light emission; furthermore, incorporating soft-contact lamination produces light-emitting textiles that exhibit, for the first time, readily changeable patterns of illumination.

DOI

10.1016/j.matt.2020.01.017

ISSN

25902393

E-ISSN

25902385

Recommended Citation

Wu, Yunyun; Mechael, Sara S.; Lerma, Cecilia; Carmichael, R. Stephen; and Carmichael, Tricia Breen. (2020). Stretchable Ultrasheer Fabrics as Semitransparent Electrodes for Wearable Light-Emitting e-Textiles with Changeable Display Patterns. Matter, 2 (4), 882-895.
https://scholar.uwindsor.ca/chemistrybiochemistrypub/241