Cold atmospheric plasma deposition of antibacterial polypyrrole–silver nanocomposites on wearable electronics for prolonged performance
Ulisses Heredia-Rivera, Akshay Krishnakumar, Venkat Kasi, Muhammad Masud Rana, Sarath Gopalakrishnan, Sina Nejati, Gagan Gundala, James P. Barnard, Haiyan Wang, Rahim Rahimi
Abstract
weight ratios as the optimal surface coating process, demonstrating stable antibacterial properties and biocompatibility against common skin microbes and epithelial cells respectively. As a proof of concept, the nanocomposite coating was applied to conductive carbon fabric surfaces as dry electrodes in a wearable garment for continues electrocardiography (ECG) monitoring over 10 days. Results revealed a significantly longer performance of the dry electrodes as comparable to standard gel-based Ag/AgCl electrodes (1 day) while providing less noise in ECG signal measurements from the subject, showcasing the potential of this technology for practical wearable applications. Envisioned as a groundbreaking solution, this technology opens new avenues for the scalable and effective integration of functional conductive circuits and sensors into everyday garments, ensuring prolonged and efficient performance in wearable electronics.