Hybrid Nanoarchitectonics with Conductive Polymer-Coated Regenerated Cellulose Fibers for Green Electronics

Green electronics based on biodegradable polymers have received considerable attention as a solution to electronic waste (e-waste). Herein, we describe an efficient approach to constructing green conductive fibers, comprising poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and regenerated cellulose (RC), via a wet-spinning process and vapor-phase polymerization (VPP). Eco-friendly RC fibers were prepared as a support layer by wet spinning, and the conductive PEDOT layers were coated onto the surface of the RC fibers by the oxidation of EDOT monomers. We demonstrated that the vapor-phase-polymerized PEDOT/RC composite fibers (PEDOT/RC-VPP) exhibited approximately 17 times higher electrical conductivity (198.2 ± 7.3 S/cm), compared with that of the solution-phase-polymerized PEDOT/RC composite fibers (PEDOT/RC-SPP, 11.6 ± 0.6 S/cm). Importantly, PEDOT/RC-VPP exhibited a high tensile strength of 181 MPa, good flexibility, and long-standing electrical stability under ambient air conditions. Moreover, the obtained PEDOT/RC-VPP under 50% strain turned on a green light-emitting diode (LED), indicating the flexibility and stability of green conductive fibers. This strategy can be easily integrated into various electronic textiles for the development of next-generation wearable green electronics.