Silver nanowire coated knitted wool fabrics for wearable electronic applications

This study demonstrates a first example of silver nanowire coated wool fibers for wearable electronic applications. Silver nanowires were synthesized according to the polyol method and then drop casted on knitted wool fabrics. Electronic properties of the knitted samples were investigated under cyclic bending conditions. Conductive fabrics were isolated with a dielectric material and used as capacitance to measure respiration and finger motions. In addition, the same capacitor was employed as a pressure sensor and touch-based sensor for lighting up an LED. This study demonstrates that silver nanowire coated knitted wool fabrics can be used in electronic textiles not only as a flexible electrode but also as a capacitor for different applications.