Intelligent perceptual textiles based on ionic-conductive and strong silk fibers

Intelligent perceptual textiles based on ionic-conductive and strong silk fibers

17 April 2024 | Haojie Lu1, Yong Zhang1, Mengjia Zhu1, Shuo Li1, Huarun Liang1, Peng Bi1, Shuai Wang1, Haomin Wang1, Linli Gan1, Xun-En Wu1 & Yingying Zhang@1
This study presents the design and fabrication of intelligent perceptual textiles that can respond to external dangers and accurately detect human touch. The key innovation is the development of conductive silk fibroin-based ionic hydrogel (SIH) fibers, which exhibit excellent mechanical properties (55 MPa tensile strength, 530% extensibility) and stable ionic conductivity (0.45 S·m⁻¹). These fibers are used to create protective textiles that can sense fire, water, and sharp objects, and perceptual textiles that can specifically detect finger touch. The SIH fibers are prepared through a continuous wet spinning process involving silk fibroin, ionic liquid ([Emim]BF₄), and glycerol. The resulting fibers have a semi-crystalline and oriented structure, enhancing their mechanical and electrical performance. The study demonstrates the practical applications of these textiles in protecting robots from hazards and enabling precise human-machine interaction through touch detection. The work highlights the potential of these textiles in advancing smart wearables and human-machine interfaces.This study presents the design and fabrication of intelligent perceptual textiles that can respond to external dangers and accurately detect human touch. The key innovation is the development of conductive silk fibroin-based ionic hydrogel (SIH) fibers, which exhibit excellent mechanical properties (55 MPa tensile strength, 530% extensibility) and stable ionic conductivity (0.45 S·m⁻¹). These fibers are used to create protective textiles that can sense fire, water, and sharp objects, and perceptual textiles that can specifically detect finger touch. The SIH fibers are prepared through a continuous wet spinning process involving silk fibroin, ionic liquid ([Emim]BF₄), and glycerol. The resulting fibers have a semi-crystalline and oriented structure, enhancing their mechanical and electrical performance. The study demonstrates the practical applications of these textiles in protecting robots from hazards and enabling precise human-machine interaction through touch detection. The work highlights the potential of these textiles in advancing smart wearables and human-machine interfaces.
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[slides and audio] Intelligent perceptual textiles based on ionic-conductive and strong silk fibers