Dry Spun, Bulk-Functionalized rGO Fibers for Textile Integrated Potentiometric Sensors

Thread or fiber-based sensors can be integrated into wearable textiles paving the way for re-engineered electrochemical sensing units for exercise or training analytics in real-time. Textile-based sensors currently have limitations such as large diameters, low conductivity, poor electrochemical performance and sensing stability, or expensive manufacturing processes-preventing many commercial applications in sweat sensing. Pure reduced graphene oxide (rGO) fibers show much promise as low-cost electrode material for the development of high-performance textile-based sweat sensing units with strong electrical, mechanical, and material properties, owing to the solid core structure, rather than a coated textile. Potentiometric sensing units based on H+ Ion Selective Electrodes fabricated on dry-spun rGO and redox modified rGO fibers combined with a rGO fiber-based reference electrode are reported here. The potentiometric fiber-based interface is then integrated into a T-shirt with Bluetooth recording unit for continuous monitoring during exercise. The small diameter and facile functionalization of rGO fibers will enable applications such as multi-sensor threads and distributed fibers that can be seamlessly integrated into sensing empowered textiles.

Automated summary

Thread or fiber-based sensors integrated into wearable textiles can provide re-engineered electrochemical sensing units for real-time exercise or training analytics. The use of rGO fibers as electrode materials can overcome limitations of current textile-based sensors, enabling high-performance sweat sensing units.