Engineering smart textiles: Comparative evaluation of polypyrrole and molybdenum disulfide enhanced cotton yarns

Conductive textiles are essential materials for wearable biomedical devices, offering a unique combination of conductivity and flexible fabrics. This study presents a comparative evaluation of cotton yarns functionalized with organic Polypyrrole (PPy) and inorganic Molybdenum Disulfide (MoS₂) using the dip-coating technique. The influence of yarn linear density (1.8 Ne, 2.7 Ne, and 8.8 Ne) and sample length on coating uniformity and electrical performance was systematically investigated. Structural and morphological properties were characterized using SEM, FTIR, Raman, XRD, and UV–Vis spectroscopy, revealing distinct interfacial bonding mechanisms for the polymer and 2D-nanosheet coatings. The electrical resistivity of PPy and MoS₂-coated yarns was determined to be 2.97 × 10 −4 Ωm and 4.36 × 10 −4 Ωm. Furthermore, the functionalized yarns exhibited significant antibacterial efficacy against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus , while cytotoxicity assays confirmed over 70% cell viability, adhering to ISO 10993-5 standards. This comparative analysis demonstrates that PPy and MoS₂-enhanced yarns serve as versatile building blocks for scalable smart textile systems in emerging wearable electronic and healthcare applications.