Thermo-Electric Properties of Conductive Cotton Fabrics: Synergistic Effects of Graphene Doping Ratio and Amount

• Published in: Journal of inorganic and organometallic polymers and materials 2024-07, Vol.34 (7), p.2998-3007
• Main Authors: Alamer, Fahad Alhashmi, Althagafy, Khalid, Alghamdi, Haifa, Saeedi, Ahmad, Ahmed, Saleh A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Cotton; Cotton fabrics; Dimethyl sulfoxide; Doping; Electric properties; Electrical resistivity; Fabrics; Graphene; Immersion coating; Inorganic Chemistry; Low conductivity; Nanomaterials; Organic Chemistry; Polymer Sciences; Production methods; Solvents; Synergistic effect; Textiles
• ISSN: 1574-1443; 1574-1451
• DOI: 10.1007/s10904-023-02918-z

Graphene is a highly promising nanomaterial due to its unique properties, including high conductivity, which makes it an ideal material for constructing conductive textiles. However, current techniques for functionalizing conductive textiles with graphene face challenges such as low conductivity and the need for chemical modification to reduce graphene oxide. In this paper, we present a simple and environmentally friendly method for producing highly conductive cotton fabrics using graphene powder as the conductive material, without the need for any additives. Our innovative method involves dispersing graphene in organic solvents to create a graphene suspension solution, which is then used to produce conductive cotton fabrics using drop casting and dip coating techniques. The results of this study demonstrate that the electrical conductivity of conductive fabrics infused with graphene is influenced by several factors, including the preparation method, the type of solvents used, and the doping ratio and amount of graphene added. Notably, the highest level of conductivity in cotton fabrics was achieved using graphene doped with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), which resulted in a lower sheet resistance of 0.097 kΩ/sq at a saturation concentration of 84.93 wt%. These conductive fabrics are therefore excellent candidates for a wide range of technological applications. Furthermore, the sheet resistance value obtained in this study was lower than that reported in previous literature. Additionally, the conductive fabrics exhibited semiconductor behavior over a temperature range of 30 ℃ to 130 ℃.