Biodegradable cotton fiber-based piezoresistive textiles for wearable biomonitoring

Electronic textiles are fundamentally changing the way we live. However, the inability to effectively recycle them is a considerable burden to the environment. In this study, we developed a cotton fiber-based piezoresistive textile (CF p-textile) for biomonitoring which is biocompatible, biodegradable, and environmentally friendly. These CF p-textiles were fabricated using a scalable dip-coating method to adhere MXene flakes to porous cotton cellulose fibers. The adhesion is made stronger by strong hydrogen bonding between MXene flakes and hierar-chically porous cotton cellulose fibers. This cotton-fiber system provides a high sensitivity of 17.73 kPa-1 in a wide pressure range (100 Pa-30 kPa), a 2 Pa subtle pressure detection limit, fast response/recovery time (80/40 ms), and good cycle stability (over 5, 000 cycles). With its compelling sensing performance, the CF p-textile can detect various human biomechanical activities, including pulsation, muscle movement, and swallowing, while still being comfortable to wear. Moreover, the cotton cellulose is decomposed into low-molecular weight cel-lulose or glucose as a result of the 1,4-glycosidic bond breakage when exposed to acid or during natural degradation, which allows the electronic textile to be biodegradable. This work offers an ecologically-benign, cost-effective and facile approach to fabricating high-performance wearable bioelectronics.

Automated summary

Electronic textiles are revolutionizing our lives, but their lack of effective recycling poses a significant environmental burden. This study presents a cotton fiber-based piezoresistive textile that is biocompatible, biodegradable, and environmentally friendly. The textile is fabricated using a scalable dip-coating method, achieving strong adhesion between MXene flakes and porous cotton cellulose fibers through hydrogen bonding. With high sensitivity, fast response time, and good cycle stability, this textile can detect various human biomechanical activities while ensuring comfort. Additionally, the cotton cellulose component can naturally degrade, making the electronic textile truly biodegradable. This work offers a cost-effective and ecologically-benign approach to developing high-performance wearable bioelectronics.