That new yarn?!—Wearable, Washable Textile Devices Are Possible with MXene-Coated Yarns

Most attempts to turn textiles into wearable technology use stiff metallic fibers that alter the texture and physical behavior of the fabric. And coating methods that are successfully able to apply enough material to a textile substrate to make it highly conductive also tend to make the yarns and fabrics too brittle to withstand normal wear and tear. Now researchers at Drexel University have shown that they can create a highly conductive, durable yarn by coating standard cellulose-based yarns with a type of conductive two-dimensional material called MXene. Related video: https://youtu.be/Jxx3pAWvJqY