PEDOT:PSS-Based Temperature-Detection Thread for Wearable Devices

In this research, we developed a wearable temperature-sensing element by dip dyeing threads in poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS) (p-type conducting polymer) solution. The PEDOT:PSS was used to dye the textile and it exhibited negative temperature coefficient characteristics in which the resistance decreases as the temperature increases. The fabricated temperature-detection thread achieved a sensitivity of 167.1 Ω/°C with 99.8% linearity in the temperature range of -50 °C to 80 °C. We anticipate that temperature sensors that apply our technology will be made as stitch- or textile-type for wearable devices, and they will be widely adopted for different applications such as in fitness, leisure, healthcare, medical treatment, infotainment, industry, and military applications, among others.