CONDUCTIVE TEXTILES AND RELATED DEVICES

• US 20180005766A1
• Filed: 07/01/2016
• Published: 01/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2016
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (University of Wisconsin System)
• Original Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (University of Wisconsin System)
• Inventors: Fairbanks, Marianne, Andrew, Trisha
• Application Number:
  US15/200,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20180005766A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: D03D 1/0088 Fabrics having an electronic function
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/102 with stitch pattern D04B1/06, D04B1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/16 antistatic; conductive
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/0112 One smooth surface, e.g. laminated or coated
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/2063 comprising a mixture of two or more dyes
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 9/2095 comprising a flexible sustrate
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 30/81 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/542 Dye sensitized solar cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/549 Organic PV cells

Abstract

A conductive textile is provided comprising a textile substrate comprising a network of one or more threads, each thread comprising one or more fibers, the one or more threads arranged to define a plurality of pores and a plurality of intersections distributed throughout the textile substrate, and a conductive polymer coating on a surface of the textile substrate, wherein the textile substrate is characterized by a porosity which is sufficiently high to achieve a substantially maximum conductivity for the conductive textile. The conductive textile may be incorporated into a variety of electronic devices, including solar cells.

Claims

1. A conductive textile comprising a textile substrate comprising a network of one or more threads, each thread comprising one or more fibers, the one or more threads arranged to define a plurality of pores and a plurality of intersections distributed throughout the textile substrate, and a conductive polymer coating on a surface of the textile substrate, wherein the textile substrate is characterized by a porosity which is sufficiently high to achieve a substantially maximum conductivity for the conductive textile.

2. The conductive textile of claim 1, wherein the textile substrate is substantially non-conductive.

3. The conductive textile of claim 2, wherein the textile substrate is substantially free of metal.

4. The conductive textile of claim 1, wherein the porosity is at least about 20%.

5. The conductive textile of claim 1, wherein the textile substrate is characterized by a density which is sufficiently low to achieve the substantially maximum conductivity for the conductive textile, further wherein the density is no more than about 4 oz/yd².

6. The conductive textile of claim 1, wherein the textile substrate is a pre-woven textile substrate comprising a first plurality of threads interlaced with a second plurality of threads, wherein the threads of the first plurality of threads are oriented approximately perpendicular to the threads of the second plurality of threads.

7. The conductive textile of claim 1, wherein the textile substrate is a pre-knit textile substrate comprising one or more threads interlooped to create rows and columns of vertically and horizontally interconnected stitches distributed throughout the textile substrate.

8. The conductive textile of claim 6, wherein the textile substrate is characterized by a R₁×

R₂ value which is selected to achieve the substantially maximum conductivity.

9. The conductive textile of claim 8, wherein the R₁×

R₂ value is at least about 12.

10. The conductive textile of claim 1, wherein the one or more fibers are substantially untwisted and substantially smooth along their lengths.

11. The conductive textile of claim 1, wherein each thread comprises a single fiber.

12. The conductive textile of claim 1, wherein the substantially maximum conductivity is at least 10 times greater than the conductivity of the textile substrate as measured under the same conditions.

13. The conductive textile of claim 1, wherein the conductive polymer coating comprises an intrinsically conductive polymer.

14. The conductive textile of claim 13, wherein the intrinsically conductive polymer is poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene).

15. The conductive textile of claim 1, wherein the textile substrate is selected from protein-based, animal materials and cellulose-acetate-based, plant materials.

16. An electronic device comprising the conductive textile of claim 1 as an electrode.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the conductive textile is monolithically integrated into a textile component of an umbrella or automotive upholstery.

18. A solar cell comprising:

(a) a conductive textile comprising a textile substrate comprising a network of one or more threads, each thread comprising one or more fibers, the one or more threads arranged to define a plurality of pores and a plurality of intersections distributed throughout the textile substrate, and a conductive polymer coating on a surface of the textile substrate, wherein the textile substrate is characterized by a porosity which is sufficiently high to achieve a substantially maximum conductivity for the conductive textile;

(b) an active layer on the conductive textile; and

(c) a top electrode on the active layer.

19. The solar cell of claim 18, wherein the active layer comprises a first sublayer comprising a first organic dye and a second sublayer on the first sublayer comprising a second organic dye.

20. The solar cell of claim 18, wherein the textile substrate is a pre-woven textile substrate comprising a first plurality of threads interlaced with a second plurality of threads, wherein the threads of the first plurality of threads are oriented approximately perpendicular to the threads of the second plurality of threads.