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Highly elastic halochromic fibers capable of reversible sensing of acidic/basic vapor for use in wearable textiles

Authors :
Taekyung Lim
Jeong Hui Lee
Keun-Hyeok Yang
Sanghyun Ju
Sang-Mi Jeong
Source :
AIP Advances, Vol 12, Iss 10, Pp 105011-105011-8 (2022)
Publication Year :
2022
Publisher :
AIP Publishing LLC, 2022.

Abstract

Halochromic sensors, which allow users to visually recognize exposure to acid/base chemicals that are harmful to the human body, are routinely used in a wide range of industries, such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, cosmetics, and environmental/human monitoring systems. In this study, halochromic fibers that operate stably, even when exposed to rain or sweat and repeated stretching–releasing, were investigated. While the halochromic mesoporous silica was synthesized using tetraethylorthosilicate and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, methyl yellow (MY) and bromothymol blue (BTB) as halochromic dyes were added so that MY and BTB were chemically or physically immobilized on the siloxane network structure of the halochromic mesoporous silica. Using the swelling and shrinking properties of the polymer, the halochromic mesoporous silica was embedded in a highly elastic spandex fiber composed of multiple strands. Because of the strong ionic and hydrogen bonding between the dye and the silica matrix, the dyes can be immobilized even in an aqueous solution without the leaching of the dyes. The stretchable halochromic fiber reversibly changed its color even after repeated exposure to acidic/basic conditions five times and could sense acid/base concentrations in the range of 0.5–10 wt %. In addition, because the halochromic mesoporous silica is tightly adhered between the stands of spandex fibers, stable color conversion properties were maintained even after stretching to 150% of the fibers and repeated 100 times. Because the halochromic fiber can be applied to lab coats, work clothes, and gloves, it is expected to be used as a wearable colorimetric sensor for daily life and industrial applications.

Subjects

Subjects :
Physics
QC1-999

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
21583226
Volume :
12
Issue :
10
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
AIP Advances
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.4f1f323f7f6a4bfd9499bb0931e9a1d3
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0112751