Towards biodegradable conducting polymers by incorporating seaweed cellulose for decomposable wearable heaters† † Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Photograph of a non-homogeneous PEDOT:PSS/glycerol (Fig. S1), TGA for PEDOT:PSS, s-cellulose and PEDOT:PSS composite film (Fig. S2), setup for the degradation experiment (Fig. S3), the estimated number of days required for the complete degradation (Fig. S4), photograph of a setup used to measure the heating performance (Fig. S5), heating DI water with PEDOT:PSS composite film (Fig. S6). See DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/d3ra04927b

ABSTRACT: Thermotherapy shows significant potential for pain relief and enhanced blood circulation in wildlife rehabilitation, particularly for injured animals. However, the widespread adoption of this technology is hindered by the lack of biodegradable, wearable heating pads and concerns surrounding electronic waste (E-waste) in natural habitats. This study addresses this challenge by investigating an environmentally-friendly composite comprising poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), seaweed cellulose, and glycerol. Notably, this composite exhibits remarkable biodegradability, losing half of its weight within one week and displaying noticeable edge degradation by the third week when placed in soil. Moreover, it demonstrates impressive heating performance, reaching a te

SUBMITTER: Teo M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10475983 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature