Biomanufacturing of Electrically Conductive PET Fabric Incorporating a Metal Ion Sensor

Rapid identification of potential threats including chemical and biological agents and advanced warning have become increasingly important in the battlefield. Each individual military personnel needs to carry a variety of sensors and communication tools. The most practical and convenient way is to incorporate the necessary elements into a wearable fabric. The objective of this Phase I proposal is to develop a biomanufacturing process to coast a conduction polymer on a textile fabric. The coating will be carried out in an environmentally benign production process. Conducting polyaniline will be synthesized in an aqueous medium using enzymatic polymerization of aniline in the presence of a partially hydrolyzed polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as a polydopant under close to neutral Ph conditions. The conductivity of the coated fibers will be determined. A metal ion sensor based on an enzymatically synthesized polyphenol, poly(8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulfonic acid) (PHQS) will be developed and multilayer films of PHQS along with a polycation will be formed on partially hydrolyzed PET films as a proof of concept. Metal ion (ferric ion)