Enhancing air stability and conductivity of cotton fabrics through dual-metal electroless deposition

This study introduces a novel dual-metal electroless deposition (ELD) technique to fabricate highly conductive cotton fabrics with superior air stability. Copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni) were deposited onto cotton fabrics with varying weave designs (plain and mesh) to investigate the effects of metal type and fabric structure on conductivity and stability. Each fabrication step included pretreatment process, silanization, polymerization, and ELD, with success validated by water contact angle measurements. Surface morphology and elemental mapping results confirmed uniform metal deposition, while XPS and XRD analyses provided detailed chemical composition and crystallinity information. It was found that while Cu-deposited fabrics exhibited excellent initial conductivity, they suffered from poor air stability. Ni-deposited fabrics demonstrated improved air stability, further influenced by the fabric’s weave design (plain and mesh). Notably, this innovative study for dual Ni–Cu deposition strategy significantly enhanced the air stability of copper-coated fabrics while maintaining high conductivity. Graphical Abstract