Superhydrophobic, biocompatible MXene-based multifunctional e-textiles for wireless transmission, electromagnetic interference shielding and healthcare monitoring

Abstract

Two-dimensional transition metal carbide/nitride (MXene) materials have been extensively employed in wearable electronics due to their outstanding physicochemical properties. Here, a straightforward and efficient ultrasonic welding technique combined with dip-coating was sequentially used to form PDA/MXene/APS-PFOTES multifunctional e-textile sensors on low-cost airlaid paper (AP) substrates. The PDA/MXene/APS-PFOTE/AP e-textile sensors showed exceptional breathability and superhydrophobicity, even under challenging conditions such as ultrasonic cleaning, high temperatures, and UV irradiation. Meanwhile, smart PDA/MXene/APS-PFOTE/AP e-textile devices exhibited stable sensing strain performances with a fast response time of 0.35 seconds and a broad range of 20 Pa–104.3 kPa. Additionally, the composite conductive fabric can be utilized for clinical monitoring of human activities through wireless transmission systems and can be applied for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, demonstrating an EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) of 17 dB in the 8.2–12.4 GHz range.