Metal salt modified PEDOT: PSS fibers with enhanced elongation and electroconductivity for wearable e-textiles

Continuous wet-spinning process is essential for the further application of intrinsically conductive polymer fibers . Especially, moderate stretchability for poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS) materials with inherit rigid chains is an insurmountable challenge. In this work, we report a facile strategy for the continuous preparation of conductive PEDOT: PSS fibers with enhanced elongation and electroconductivity for potential applications in wearable e-textiles. Various metal salts were employed for the electrostatic complexation with PSS in a coagulation bath of water and ethanol. Interestingly, resultant PEDOT: PSS fibers with the assistance of Li + possess a breaking elongation of more than 50%, which is the highest value reported to our best knowledge. Special anisotropic structure was detected inside the composite fibers, providing it outstanding electroconductivity. Moreover, resultant fibers revealed a good sensitivity and high capacitance which provides new inspirations for the development of wearable electronics. • Compared with pure PEDOT: PSS fiber, composite fibers presented a tensile strain of more than 50%. • Interesting anisotropic structure in PEDOT: PSS fiber was detected by adding lithium chloride. • The flexible tactile sensor made of composite conductive fibers can monitor the simple movement of human body.