Eco-friendly PEDOT:PSS printed wool textile: Durability and conductivity assessed by CS-AFM and cyclic voltammetry

The development of sustainable electronic textiles requires environmentally friendly processes that preserve durability, electrical functionality, and user comfort. This study presents a green approach to producing conductive wool textiles by combining nitrogen plasma surface treatment with digital printing of PEDOT:PSS dispersions. Plasma activation significantly enhanced surface hydrophilicity and polymer adhesion without altering the intrinsic properties of wool. Conductive coatings based on PEDOT:PSS were applied to wool fabrics and subsequently crosslinked with an industrial fixing agent to improve washing durability. Surface morphology and coating penetration were examined by SEM, while functional group composition was analysed using FTIR-ATR. Electrical conductivity was assessed using four-point probe method, with the most stable performance observed for samples treated with blended PEDOT:PSS dispersions formulations and crosslinker (PFSH-p). Wash durability was confirmed over 35 laundering cycles, with minimal changes in resistance and colour intensity. To the best of our knowledge, current sensing atomic force microscopy (CS-AFM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) are applied here for the first time to PEDOT:PSS-coated wool fabrics, providing insights into nanoscale electrical behaviour and electrochemical response. Vis–NIR spectroscopy and CS-AFM further validated the optoelectronic and nanoscale conductive properties of the coatings. Although the specific capacitance values obtained by CV were modest, the measurements confirmed the electrochemical activity of PEDOT:PSS-coated wool and demonstrated stable cycling performance. This work establishes an effective and scalable strategy for the environmentally conscious production of durable, conductive wool textiles with potential applications in wearable electronics and low-power smart devices.