Conductive core-sheath calcium alginate/graphene composite fibers with polymeric ionic liquids as an intermediate.

In this study, polymeric ionic liquid (PIL) was synthesized and used in the wet spinning of calcium alginate (CaAlg) fiber. PIL was used as an intermediate to coat graphene with outer layer of CaAlg fiber to obtain conductive core-sheath CaAlg/Graphene (CaAlg/G-PIL) fibers. This proposed blend enhances the properties of the fiber due to the π-π and cation-π interactions between PIL and graphene, and the electrostatic interactions between PIL and CaAlg. The composition and chemical structure of the composite fibers were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The properties and applications of the composite fibers were characterized by tensile test and a series of electrical conductivity tests. The results show that the modification of PIL realizes non-covalent combination of CaAlg fiber with graphene, improving the electrical conductivity of the fiber.