Tailoring the electrical, antibacterial, durability properties of electroactive fabric-based polyaniline for potential uses in wearable bioelectronics / Muhammad Faiz Aizamddin

This thesis explores the development and investigation of electroactive fabric-based conducting polymer (CP), specifically polyaniline (PANI) for potential uses in wear able bioelectronics. PANI has gained substantial interest in scientific research due to its tunable structural and electrical conductivity. However, in its pristine form, PANI exhibits low conductivity values of less than 1 S cm-1, which remains a challenge and limits its potential applications. Therefore, the first part of the study attempts to increase the electrical conductivity of PANI utilizing para-toluene sulfonic acid (pTSA) as a doping agent, thereby optimizing its value to fall within the acceptable range for conductive materials, particularly on human skin (~10-4 S cm-1 to 102 S cm-1). In addition, another comparable CP, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT: PSS) doped with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), is also examined to unveil its potential and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the electrical properties when embedded into fabric materials. The conductivity values of these CPs are critical for ensuring efficient signal transduction and smooth data transmittance when in use.