Technological advancements have made everything smart today, from our phones, refrigerators, TVs, watches, bikes, cars, and wallets to ovens, glasses, doorbells, thermostats, and toothbrushes.
Yet another thing that is getting smart that you may not have been expecting is your clothes. That’s right! Even garments and textiles are getting smart. Imagine textiles that can sense and respond to your temperature, movement, and pressure.
The ubiquity of textiles, as well as their large surface area and proximity to their users, actually makes integrating functionality into them a promising venture.
While promises have been made by many top fashion brands, smart clothes with sensors and next-gen textiles haven’t become a regular part of our daily lives yet. This is because textile-based electronics or e-textiles require on-textile power supplies, which can negatively impact user comfort.
As an alternative, an on-garment energy harvesting route has been taken. Photovoltaic devices are examples of devices that achieve reasonable output but with relatively low voltage. Also, they have complicated fabrication methods and need light to supply power. Piezoelectric is another one that generates a significant voltage but supplies currents in the μA range.
Here, wireless charging can offer substantial advantages, with researchers turning to MXenes and integrating them directly into textiles.
To help make e-textiles a part of our wardrobes, researchers from Drexel University joined hands with Accenture Labs in California to build a full textile energy grid that can be wirelessly charged.
Detailing the process and viability of building a grid, the latest study, supported by the National Institutes of Health, reported making use of ink composed of MXene to print on nonwoven cotton textiles.
This printing can be done easily using direct printing methods, and the ink can be dried at room temperature and put onto textiles.
The on-garment energy grid from Drexel University can power real-world electronics, including an sEMG sensor, and transmit data in real time. The team also created a wireless joule heater, which was directly powered by their MXene coil.
MXene: A 2D Nanomaterial with Endless Possibilities
Created at Drexen itself, MXene is a type of nanomaterial that is not only highly conductive but also durable enough to withstand the washing, stretching, and folding that clothing must endure.
In addition to its natural conductivity, MXene is impermeable to electromagnetic radiation and can disperse in water as a stable colloidal solution. This allows for easy coating of textiles with MXene without the need for chemical additives. MXene also exhibits super-supercapacitance and shows promise in sensors. These nanoflakes can be placed anywhere and onto almost any surface.
All these qualities give MXene a distinct advantage over other materials and make it an ideal candidate to integrate into textiles to add functionality and generate and store electrical energy. As Drexel University noted:
“The possibilities for MXenes are endless.”
For instance, researchers have developed a scalable strategy to fabricate high-performance films of titanium carbide MXene flakes that have promising applications in aerospace, biomedicine, and flexible electronic devices. Elsewhere, scientists have uncovered p-type properties in a new MXene material to advance its potential for nanotechnology applications. Another team is unlocking the potential of MXene in catalysis to facilitate ammonia’s use as a hydrogen carrier for renewable energy storage.
It was actually more than a decade ago that Drexel researchers in the College of Engineering’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering discovered this family of 2D carbides or nitrides. Just a few atoms thick, the material’s structure showed immense potential in terms of its attributes and usage.
There isn’t just one MXene either; there are many different ones with many more possible.
“The sky’s really the limit.”
– Yury Gogotsi, a professor in Drexel’s College of Engineering and director of the A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute, years ago
Then, the researchers started exploring the possibility of adapting MXene as a coating that can imbue a wide range of materials with its exceptional properties.
Now, with the latest proof-of-concept, the University has made yet another huge development, which is a big step for wearable technology, currently limited by the use of bulky, stiff batteries that aren’t completely integrated into clothing.
Talking about how bulky energy supplies requiring rigid components are not ideal, the study lead, Gogotsi, explained that they are simply uncomfortable and intrusive for the wearer.
While e-textiles can be plugged into the wall, direct power restrains movement. He added:
“(They also) tend to fail at the interface between the hard electronics and the soft textile over time.”
These interfaces can reduce user comfort and are prone to mechanical failure. Then there’s the issue of washability with e-textiles, which is pretty difficult to handle.
So, the Drexel research team printed the textile grid on a flexible, lightweight cotton substrate, which was only a small patch size.
It further contains a printed resonator coil, called an MX-coil, that converts electromagnetic waves into energy to enable wireless charging. There are also three textile supercapacitors that store energy and are used to power devices.
Click here to learn about the fabric that can convert heat into electricity.
A Supercapacitor ‘Patch’ for Energy Storage
Source: Drexel University
After studying the durability, electric conductivity, and energy storage capacity of MXene-functionalized textiles that weren’t optimized to power electronics beyond passive devices like LED lights, Drexel and Accenture Labs developed these supercapacitors last year.
At the time, the team reported that the supercapacitor could charge in mere minutes and then power a temperature sensor and radio communication of data for about two hours.
Gogotsi, who co-authored the study, also noted at the time that in order to fully integrate tech into fabric, we must also be able to seamlessly integrate its power source.
“Our invention shows the path forward for textile energy storage devices.”
– Gogotsi
The ease of getting MXene to adhere to the fabric allows Drexel’s supercapacitor to display high energy density and support functional applications, which is required to implement textile-based energy storage in real-life applications.
The MXene textile supercapacitor patch was designed with the goal of maximizing energy storage capacity using minimal material and little space. This way, it reduced the overall cost of production and, at the same time, preserved the garment’s flexibility and wearability.
Now, to create the supercapacitor, small swatches of woven cotton textile were dipped into an MXene solution. It was then layered on a lithium chloride electrolyte gel. Every supercapacitor cell has two textile layers, which are coated with MXene.
To have a patch that can run devices, five cells were stacked with an area of 25 square centimeters to create a power pack capable of charging to 6 volts. The cells were also vacuum-sealed to prevent performance degradation.
The supercapacitor from the team was able to power an Arduino Pro Mini 3.3V microcontroller, which was one of the highest total power outputs on record for a textile energy device.
The microcontroller was also able to transmit temperature wirelessly every 30 seconds for 96 minutes. This performance was maintained consistently for over 20 days.
Enabling Wireless Charging in Textiles
After having created the energy storage device, i.e., a supercapacitor, which delivers energy quicker than a battery, the team started working on the textile grid, which included an MX-coil and three textile supercapacitors.
The team demonstrated the effectiveness of its system in powering various e-textile uses. For instance, the grid developed was able to wirelessly charge at 3.6 volts, which is enough to power wearable sensors as well as wristwatches and calculators. Besides small devices, the grid had the capacity to even power digital circuits in computers.
Upon testing the grid with small electronic devices, it was found that, by charging it for a mere 15 minutes, the grid was able to generate enough energy to power small devices for over 90 minutes.
Additionally, after going through an extensive washing and bending cycle to simulate the wear and tear that regular clothing goes through, the researchers found that the performance of the grid was barely diminished.
Led by Flavia Vitale, PhD, an associate professor of neurology, collaborators from the University of Pennsylvania also tested it for wireless MXene-based biosensor electrodes called MXtrodes that monitor muscle movement.
Besides on-garment applications requiring energy storage, the team showed those use cases that may not need energy storage, like “situations with relatively sedentary users,” said Alex Inman, PhD, a research assistant with Gogotsi in the A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute.
In this regard, the team used the system to power an off-the-shelf array of temperature and humidity sensors along with a microcontroller to broadcast the data they collected in real time. A wireless charge of just half an hour powered the energy-intensive function of real-time broadcasting from the sensors for 13 minutes.
The MX-coil was further used to power a printed, on-textile heating element, a Joule heater. It generated a temperature gain of about 4 degrees Celsius as a proof-of-concept. According to Gogotsi:
“Many different technologies could be powered by wireless charging. The main thing to consider when picking an application is that it needs to make sense for a wearable application.”
While biological sensors, as the future of healthcare, can be integrated directly into textiles to increase the quality and reliability of data and enhance user comfort, Gogotsi stated that their research shows that a textile-based power grid can power any number of peripheral devices.
From wearable haptics for AR/VR applications like entertainment and training to fiber-based LEDs for fashion or job safety and controlling external electronics, their textile-based power grid has demonstrated various potential use cases.
While a big achievement, further work is still needed to optimize the design to create resonant behaviors and other materials may also be added to increase efficiency. Moving forward, the Drexel researchers will focus on scaling up its system without limiting its ability to be integrated into textiles or negatively affecting its performance.
Overall, MXene materials, according to Gogotsi and Inman, can play a major role in turning various technologies into textile forms.
“We are producing enough power from the wireless charging to power a lot of different applications, so the next steps come down to integration. One large way MXene can help with this is that it can be used for many of these functionalities – conductive traces, antennae, and sensors.”
– Inman
Companies Positioned to Benefit from e-Textiles Becoming Reality
Smart clothing is a growing market, estimated to be currently valued at $5.16 billion, and it is projected to grow at a CAGR of 26.2% from 2025 to 2030. With a growing focus on health and fitness among users, tech giants like Google (GOOGL +3.98%) and Apple (AAPL +0.1%) have created wearable tech and can potentially benefit from e-textiles as well.
Back in 2019, Levi (LEVI +0.95%) partnered with Google to launch its smart Trucker Jacket. It had Google’s Jacquard technology built in, which allows a particular section of fabric to be used to control mobile phones.
MXene-based textiles can also be valuable in the medical world, where companies like Medtronic (MDT) can use them to provide comfort and safety.
Now, let’s look into two companies that can really benefit from the ongoing advancements in smart clothing.
1. Vuzix Corporation (VUZI -0.57%)
Smart clothing has a lot of scope for usage and growth in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) industries. It can help blur the lines between the physical and online worlds through sensory cues like haptic feedback, creating more immersive experiences for the user.
Vuzix is a supplier of wearable AR and VR display technology. By integrating MXene-based e-textiles into its wearables, Vuzix can enhance the user experience significantly by eliminating external battery packs without limiting user movement.
Vuzix Corporation (VUZI -0.57%)
Now, if we take a look at its market performance, the shares of the $76.2 million market cap company are down 44.36% this year as they trade at $1.22 as of writing. It has an EPS (TTM) of -1.26 and a P/E (TTM) of -0.92.
For the Second Quarter of 2024, the company reported a decrease of 77% in its total revenues to $1.1 million versus $4.7 million in 2Q23. This drop was the result of lower product sales, particularly for M400 smart glasses.
The gross loss for the period was $0.3 million, which was the result of lower revenues that were unable to cover the company’s fixed manufacturing overhead costs. Research and Development expenses, meanwhile, were $2.4 million. As of June 30, 2024, Vuzix had cash and cash equivalents of $9.9 million, while its overall working capital position was $22.1 million.
2. Nike (NKE -3.18%)
This apparel giant has been exploring smart clothing for some time now, and integrating MXene-based wireless charging garments could help Nike develop advanced athletic wear that can track biometric data without affecting user functionality and comfort.
Recently, it unveiled Aerogami, a new breathable apparel technology featuring moisture-reactive vents that open and close on its own upon sensing sweat. It helps runners regulate their body temperature better when they are exercising. With its performance apparel technology, Nike was aiming to “create a product that interacts with athletes’ bodies in real-time as they warm up, sweat, and cool down.”
Now, to look at its financial side, Nike is a $6 billion market cap company whose shares are currently trading at $77.20, down 28.18% this year. It has an EPS (TTM) of 3.49 and a P/E (TTM) of 22.36 while paying a dividend yield of 1.90%.
For its fiscal 2025 financial results for the quarter ended August 31, 2024, the company reported a revenue of $11.6 billion, a decline of 10% year-on-year. Net income was also down 28% to $1.1 billion. While Nike has struggled in recent years with slowing consumer demand, it still holds a 40% market share in the sportswear industry.
Meanwhile, its cash and equivalents and short-term investments are sitting at $10.3 billion, up about $1.5 bln from last year. Returns to shareholders continued increasing, with $558 mln paid out in dividends, while $1.2 bln was spent on share repurchases.
Conclusion
Technology is the fastest-growing sector, influencing almost every area of our lives, including our wardrobe. However, flexible and stretchable textile energy-storing solutions continue to remain underdeveloped from most e-textile systems because of the inadequate performance of currently available materials and technologies.
With continued research and innovation, we may finally see smart clothing become a reality. Here, the wonder material that is MXene offers great promise with its versatility, which can not only make e-textiles possible but also has the potential to tackle future energy demands.
Click here to learn how triboelectric sensors will play a key role in next-gen wearables.