Preparation, characterization, and conductivity properties of an alginate-silver nitrate hydrogel composite on biodegradable polylactic acid nonwoven

Biodegradable conductive films and fabrics are crucial for sustainable wearable electronics, as they enable the seamless integration of electrical functions into textiles for applications such as wearable technology and medical devices. In this study a flexible, conductive fabric was developed by combining biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) nonwoven fabric with alginate and silver nitrate (AgNO3). PLA nonwoven alginate conductive hydrogel was synthesized using the sol-gel method, with varying concentrations of sodium alginate and silver nitrate. The hydrogel composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. SEM and EDS analysis showed that Ag particles attach to the disordered fiber surfaces, forming a continuous conductive network. In conductivity testing, the formulation containing 1% alginate and 10% AgNO3 showed the highest conductivity at 0.32 S/cm. These conductive composite fabrics provide an effective and simple approach to develop flexible, and biodegradable conductive materials.