Continuous and scalable preparation of highly conductive PEDOT: PSS-based fibers for wearable smart textiles

Flexible electronic fabrics have garnered significant attention for their promising prospects in next-generation wearable electronic devices. However, fabricating flexible fabrics that simultaneously possess high conductivity, mechanical adaptability, energy conversion/storage，portability and comfort remains a critical challenge. Herein, multifunctional PEDOT: PSS/[BMIM]HSO 4 fibers were continuously fabricated via a wet-spinning technique using a green and cost-effective coagulation bath composed of DI water and 0.05 M 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate ([BMIM]HSO 4 ). The fibers exhibited high conductivity (772.6 S· cm −1 ), favorable mechanical flexibility (elongation at break: 40.8% with Young's modulus of 107.1 MPa), along with excellent antibacterial activity, flame retardancy, and biocompatibility. Meanwhile, the assembled fibers-based supercapacitors displayed a high mass-specific capacitance (41.4 F·g −1 at a current density of 0.025 A·g −1 ) and good cyclic stability (93% capacitance retention after 1200 charge-discharge cycles). These superior properties enable the PEDOT: PSS/[BMIM]HSO 4 fibers to be woven into wearable smart fabrics, which exhibit excellent moisture wicking, breathability, and UV resistance. Meanwhile, this smart fabric can realize self-cooling in hot environments and electrical heating in cold conditions, demonstrating potential application for personal thermal management. Furthermore, the constructed PEDOT: PSS/[BMIM]HSO 4 fiber-based electrodes can effectively monitor various human motions as well as electrocardiography (ECG) signals. Thus, this study provides a green and facile strategy for designing advanced PEDOT: PSS-based fibers with high conductivity and opens up new avenues for the development of wearable electronics for energy conversion/storage, personalized healthcare monitoring, and human-machine interaction.