Extrusion‐to‐Wearables: Nanocomposite Infusion into Cotton for Repairable Electrically Conductive Strain and Temperature Sensors
Víctor Díaz‐Mena, Xoan Xosé Fernández Sánchez‐Romate, María Sánchez Martínez, Alejandro Ureña Fernández, Luca Ceseracciu, Athanassia Athanassiou, Pietro CataldiABSTRACT
A capillary spread of wearable multifunctional electronics technologies lies in smart textiles that are not only flexible and functional, but also scalable, washable, and compatible with repeated use. Herein, we present a method c with the polymer and textile manufacturing for fabricating conductive, hydrophobic, and thermally repairable cotton fabrics using thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) matrices filled with carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Through a simple two‐step extrusion and hot‐pressing process, cotton is impregnated with TPU‐CNTs nanocomposites, achieving conductivities up to ∼20 S/m, sensitivity to both strain and temperature stimuli (gauge factor of ≈ 3 for ε < 5%, ΔR/R 0 ·ΔT ≈ 0.001 within 10°C–80°C range), and water contact angles exceeding 100°. The functional fabrics retain electrical conductivity under 20 simulated washing cycles and can recover post‐damage electrical conductivity through thermally assisted hot press rewelding. These functionalized cotton textiles enable motion and temperature sensing, highlighting their potential as scalable multifunctional platforms for next‐generation wearable technologies.