3D printable composites of modified cellulose fibers and conductive polymers and their use in wearable electronics

There are many bioelectronic applications where the additive manufacturing of conductive polymers may be of use. This method is cheap, versatile and allows fine control over the design of wearable electronic devices. Nanocellulose has been widely used as a rheology modifier in bio-based inks that are used to print electrical components and devices. However, the preparation of nanocellulose is energy and time consuming. In this work an easy-to-prepare, 3D-printable, conductive bio-ink; based on modified cellulose fibers and poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene) poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), is presented. The ink shows excellent printability, the printed samples are wet stable and show excellent electrical and electrochemical performance. The printed structures have a conductivity of 30 S/cm, high tensile strains (>40%), and specific capacitances of 211 F/g; even though the PEDOT:PSS only accounts for 40 wt% of the total ink composition. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), and Raman spectroscopy data show that the modified cellulose fibers induce conformational changes and phase separation in PEDOT:PSS. It is also demonstrated that wearable supercapacitors and biopotential-monitoring devices can be prepared using this ink.

Automated summary

This study presents an easy-to-prepare, 3D-printable, conductive bio-ink based on modified cellulose fibers and poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene)poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), which shows excellent printability and excellent electrical performance. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), and Raman spectroscopy analysis reveal conformational changes and phase separation induced by modified cellulose fibers in PEDOT:PSS. The ink can be used to prepare wearable supercapacitors and biopotential-monitoring devices.