Metal deposition technique hailed as smart fabric breakthrough

Until now, efforts to print metal onto fabrics have typically involved first coating the fabric with plastic, rendering it waterproof and brittle. But the new technique, developed by a cross-disciplinary team at Imperial College, allows metal inks to cover entire fibres rather than simply coating the surface of the fabric.

To coat the fibres, the researchers first covered them in microscopic particles of silicon, and then submerged the material into a solution containing metal ions.

This preparatory process, known as SIAM (Si ink-enabled autocatalytic metallization), allows metals to ‘grow’ throughout the material as the ions are deposited on the silicon particles.

This approach coats metal throughout the fabric, allowing paper and textiles to maintain their ability to absorb water and their flexibility alongside providing a large metallic surface. These properties are important to the functioning of many advanced technologies, particularly sensors and batteries, where ions in solution must interact with electrons in metals.

The group used the technique to create silver coil antennas on paper, which can be used for data and power transmission in wireless devices such as Oyster cards and contactless payment systems. It also used the method to deposit silver onto paper and then added zinc onto the same paper to form a battery.