An electrically conductive hybrid polyaniline/silver-coated polyester fabric for smart applications

Abstract

A highly conductive polyester fabric was fabricated by the two-step successive in situ polymerization of aniline. This was followed by silver electroless plating on the surface of the fabric. Also, a silver electroless-plated fabric and a PANI-coated fabric were prepared by the in situ chemical polymerization of aniline. The electrical conductivity measurements, scanning electron microscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, water contact angle measurements, wide angle X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and air permeability tests were conducted on the coated fabrics. It was found that the surface of the hybrid PANI/silver-coated fabric was coated with granular silver particles having the average diameter of 1.3 µm. Besides, the amount of the reduced silver on the surface of the fabric was much higher than that in the silver electroless-plated fabric. The emeraldine form of PANI was oxidized to pernigraniline and the silver ions were reduced to silver metal particles. The hybrid PANI/silver-coated fabric showed the electrical conductivity of 2.63 × 103 Scm−1; so, it could be applied in many smart wearable applications.