An international team has developed transistors using natural cotton fibers — an innovation that represents a significant leap forward because it lays the groundwork for creating even more complex devices, such as cotton-based circuits, which in turn open doors to the creation of wearable electronic devices further down the line.
The researchers used a new technique in which conformal coatings — those that follow cotton’s irregular topography — of gold nanoparticles along with semiconductive and conductive polymers were used to tailor the electronic behavior of natural cotton fibers. Cotton was chosen as a substrate because of its mechanical and inherent comfort properties, relative cheapness, and widespread use in fabric and clothing.
The first step was aimed at creating a conformal layer of nanoparticles over the rough topography of cotton. The next layers were either conductive or semiconductive coatings; the final step was to build the devices.
Two kinds of active transistors, organic electrochemical transistors and organic field effect transistors, were also demonstrated. Both kinds are widely used in the electronics industry as components of integrated circuits, which control the functions of such common devices as phones, televisions, and game consoles.
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Also: A method for automated fabrication of flexible, electrically conductive patterns on cloth substrates has been demonstrated.
