Experimental study on the temperature-sensitive behavior of poly-n-isopropylacrylamide/graphene oxide composites and the flexible conductive cotton fabrics

This work focused on the development and characterization of poly-n-isopropylacrylamide/graphene oxide composite (PNIPAM-GO) which was prepared by in situ free radical polymerization of n-isopropylacrylamide and graphene oxide (GO). It was then compounded on cotton fabrics by dip-drying layer group method to prepare PNIPAM-GO/cotton fabrics, which were further reduced by hydrazine hydrate to obtain PNIPAM-rGO/cotton conductive fabrics. The conductivity of flexible conductive fabrics and performance of PNIPAM-GO composite were studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ther-mogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy. The results show that PNIPAM-GO composites have reversible temperature-sensitive response, the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of PNIPAM-GO composites increased with the introduction of GO. With increasing of dip-drying cycles, the resistance value of PNIPAM-rGO/cotton fabrics decreased, which decreased from 908.3 K Omega with 5 dip-drying cycle processes to 162.5 K Omega with 15 dip-drying cycle processes at 25 degrees C. Besides, PNIPAM-rGO/cotton fabrics have temperature-sensitive conductivity, the resistance value decreased when testing tem-perature above LCST. The results also show that the resistance value changed reversibly with the changing of testing temperature above or below the LCST of PNIPAM-GO. Therefore, PNIPAM-rGO/cotton fabrics have po-tential development in flexible conductive materials in temperature control valve.

Automated summary

This study focused on the development and characterization of poly-n-isopropylacrylamide/graphene oxide composite (PNIPAM-GO) and its application to cotton fabrics to create flexible conductive materials. The results showed that PNIPAM-GO composites had temperature-sensitive response, and PNIPAM-rGO/cotton fabrics exhibited temperature-sensitive conductivity, making them potential materials for temperature control valves.