Abstract

Flexible thermoelectric textiles have emerged as promising materials for wearable energy harvesting and electrothermal applications because they combine mechanical flexibility with the ability to convert low-grade heat into electrical energy. In this study, reduced graphene oxide/zinc oxide/copper oxide (rGO/ZnO/CuO) hybrid nanocomposites were synthesized and deposited onto Cotton–Nylon–Spandex (80:15:05) stretch fabrics using a silicone elastomer-assisted coating process to develop flexible conductive textiles. The influence of nanocomposite loading (2–8 g/100 mL elastomer) on the structural, electrical, thermal, and thermoelectric properties of the coated fabrics was systematically investigated. SEM, EDX, XRD, and Raman analyses confirmed the successful formation and uniform distribution of the rGO/ZnO/CuO hybrid coating on the textile substrate. Increasing the nanocomposite loading progressively reduced the electrical resistance from approximately 42 to 18 MΩ, indicating the formation of an interconnected conductive network, while the Seebeck coefficient increased from 0.049 to 0.056 mV K−1 (49–56 μV K−1). The measured effective thermal conductivity of the coated textile decreased from approximately 12 to 2.68 W m−1 K−1, reflecting changes in the thermal transport behavior of the composite coating. The coated fabrics also exhibited stable electrical performance under repeated bending, stretching (up to 80% strain), and washing, together with improved thermal stability and uniform Joule-heating behavior. These results demonstrate that the rGO/ZnO/CuO hybrid coating provides an effective strategy for developing flexible, mechanically durable, and multifunctional conductive textiles with potential applications in wearable thermoelectric energy harvesting and smart heating systems.

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