Bio-based phytic acid-induced polypyrrole/silver nanowires coating towards multifunctional nylon/cotton blend fabrics

The functional flexible wearable textiles have a broad application prospect in many areas. However, considering the physical and chemical effects among various additives, it is still a big challenge to prepare wearable fabrics with a balance between different properties. Herein, an eco-friendly and multifunctional nylon/cotton blend fabric was constructed by phytic acid (PA)-induced polymerization of polypyrrole on the surface, followed by dip coating with silver nanowires (AgNWs). A high electrical conductivity of the treated blend fabrics (61 S.m(-1)) was obtained contributed to the excellent EMI shielding performance of nylon/cotton blend fabric (X-band similar to 38.8 dB). Meanwhile, the coating maintained the surface temperature of the fabric within a suitable range, resulting in achieving the efficient thermal management. Furthermore, the treated nylon/cotton blends achieved a remarkable reduction (83.3 % and 81.7 %) of peak heat release rate and total smoke production compared to that of the control nylon/cotton blends. In addition, the considerable antibacterial property against E. coli and S. aureus was also realized. The successful application of this simple and eco-friendly method offered the possibility of preparing safer and more versatile wearable smart textiles.

Automated summary

In this study, an eco-friendly and multifunctional nylon/cotton blend fabric was constructed using phytic acid-induced polymerization of polypyrrole and dip coating with silver nanowires. The treated blend fabric exhibited high electrical conductivity, excellent electromagnetic shielding performance, efficient thermal management, significant reduction in heat release rate and smoke production, and considerable antibacterial property.