Science Daily October 22, 2021
Researchers in Japan combined polyaniline, a conducting polymer that can be easily synthesized, with bagworm silk obtained from a bagworm nest. The composite fibers obtained from the silk and polyaniline were 2 microns in diameter and acted as optical waveguides. They demonstrated that green laser light propagates along these fibers, while remaining confined within each fiber. Using SQUID measurements they determined that the fibers can act as paramagnets. By applying the bagworm silk/polyaniline composite in a field-effect transistor device, the research team also confirmed that the composite fiber is suitable for use in textile transistors. According to the researchers the fibers can be developed for various practical applications — electromagnetic inference shields, conductive textile wires, and anticorrosion textiles. The work could pave the path toward the application of these fibers in a variety of fields such as tissue engineering and microelectronics…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE