Optical sensor development for smart textiles

Wearable electronics is a natural application field of miniaturized sensors and low-power analog and digital devices, including last generation microcontrollers and efficient power conversion components, that are able to manage battery power in an optimal way. A dye-doped SiO2 thin film was obtained by sol-gel technology. The synthesis was monitored in time by FT-IR spectroscopy. The hybrid sol was applied onto a fabric surface by a padd-system, obtaining a smart textile. The colour change of the sensor was monitored by an optoelectronic system that is able to estimate qualitatively a parameter such as temperature, pH or the presence of a pollutant in the environment. Through the synthesis of a hybrid material, the organic sensing molecule can be chemically immobilized to the fabric surface. The covalent bond with the Si precursor does not alter the sensor performances of the dye and, at the same time, improves your resistance onto textile surface. The smart fabric, associated to its color electronic sensor, can be easily embedded into various types of portable systems.