Robust Superhydrophobic E-Textiles Based on a Low-Wetting Conductive Interface for Health Management

Functional e-textiles have garnered increasing attention in both academic and commercial domains. However, the development of e-textiles that simultaneously exhibit efficient electrothermal physiotherapy, effective electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, and reliable sensing capabilities remains a significant challenge. In this study, a robust superhydrophobic e-textile is developed through the fabrication of a three-dimensional interlocked conductive coating comprising MWNTs, MXene, and AgNWs, along with a low-wettability surface interface. The low-wettability interface imparts pronounced superhydrophobicity, for which the water contact angle is 155.2°, effectively protecting the conductive components from exfoliation and chemical damage. The integration of the MWNTs/MXene/AgNWs conductive coating with the prestretching process endows the superhydrophobic e-textile with exceptional strain-sensing performance, characterized by high sensitivity (414.8), rapid response time (40 ms), and a low detection threshold (0.1%). Furthermore, the formation of the interlocked conductive coating confers excellent electrical conductivity of up to 1826 S·m-1, enabling remarkable EMI shielding effectiveness (45.4 dB) and electrothermal performance (102.3 °C at 4.0 V). These results indicate that the developed superhydrophobic e-textile holds significant potential for utilization in fields such as EMI shielding, electrothermal physiotherapy, and motion tracking.