Skip to Content
MIT Technology Review
Sign in

Electronic Textiles Being Made

Textiles coated with carbon nanotubes form electronic sensors that look and feel like ordinary cotton.
April 21, 2009
Jian Zhu pulls a cotton thread out of the nano¬tube solution, where it’s been soaking for about two minutes. Zhu will allow the thread to dry and then repeat the process about nine times to maximize the thread’s electrical properties.
Visible in this image from a scanning electron microscope, the microscale fibers that make up a cotton thread provide a structural template for the nanotubes to adhere to.
Treated threads are attached to electrodes on five light-emitting diodes and to a power source (by the red and black clips). The threads carry enough current to light all five LEDs.
Zhu holds small patches of cotton cloth treated with the nanotube-Nafion solution. The dipping technique used on individual threads can also turn whole cloth into an electronic textile.
When antibodies to human albumin are added to the nanotube solution, the treated threads can sensitively detect blood. In a solution containing a small amount of human blood (dye added for visual emphasis), the thread becomes much less resistant to the flow of electrical current. A solution with just a tiny amount of albumin in it causes the thread’s resistance to drop significantly.

Keep Reading

Most Popular

DeepMind’s cofounder: Generative AI is just a phase. What’s next is interactive AI.

“This is a profound moment in the history of technology,” says Mustafa Suleyman.

What to know about this autumn’s covid vaccines

New variants will pose a challenge, but early signs suggest the shots will still boost antibody responses.

Human-plus-AI solutions mitigate security threats

With the right human oversight, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence can help keep business and customer data secure

Next slide, please: A brief history of the corporate presentation

From million-dollar slide shows to Steve Jobs’s introduction of the iPhone, a bit of show business never hurt plain old business.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.