A schematic diagram of the multifunctional fiber-type electronic device incorporating UiO-66 MOF material. [Provided by Korea Institute of Materials Science]
A schematic diagram of the multifunctional fiber-type electronic device incorporating UiO-66 MOF material. [Provided by Korea Institute of Materials Science]

A joint research team from the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS) — led by researchers Song Myung-kwan and Lee Hee-jung — along with Lee Hyung-woo, a professor at Pusan National University, and Shin Myung-hoon, a professor at Korea Aerospace University, has developed a multifunctional fiber-type electronic device capable of generating electricity and detecting hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas at the same time. The achievement is expected to accelerate the practical use of smart clothing and wearable devices for industrial safety.

As wearable electronics and Internet of Things (IoT) technology advance rapidly, next-generation fiber-type electronic devices that can generate their own power without relying solely on external sources — while also monitoring the surrounding environment — are drawing growing attention. Existing fiber-type solar cells, however, have faced limitations in power generation efficiency and durability, and most have been confined to a single function such as power production, restricting their usefulness in real-world wearable settings.

The research team developed a multifunctional fiber electronic device based on a metal-organic framework (MOF) that adds harmful gas detection to the electricity-generating capability of conventional fiber-type solar cells.

MOFs are porous materials formed by metal ions and organic molecules connected in a three-dimensional structure. Their large internal surface area and numerous fine pores make them useful across a wide range of applications, including gas adsorption, sensors, catalysts and energy devices.

The core of the technology lies in combining a fiber-type dye-sensitized solar cell — which generates electricity by absorbing light — with a MOF material capable of effectively capturing harmful gases such as hydrogen sulfide.

The team synthesized functional MOF materials suited for both solar cells and gas sensors by introducing fluorine (F), which attracts electrons, and an amine group (NH2), which donates electrons, into UiO-66, a representative MOF material. The resulting material was applied to the titanium dioxide (TiO2) photoelectrode of a fiber-type dye-sensitized solar cell, enabling more efficient movement of the charge carriers generated upon light absorption.

The developed fiber device not only generates electricity and detects harmful gases but also demonstrated stable performance under real-world wearing conditions. Its photoelectric conversion efficiency — the rate at which light energy is converted into electricity — reached 7.16 percent, about 29 percent higher than that of a conventional titanium dioxide photoelectrode. The device produced electricity under both strong sunlight and indoor lighting, suggesting potential as a self-powered source in everyday environments, and responded to hydrogen sulfide gas in about nine seconds, demonstrating fast detection. After more than 1,500 repeated bending cycles, it retained about 80 percent of its initial performance, and after 20 wash cycles it maintained more than 80 percent performance — confirming its suitability for environments where it would be bent and laundered like ordinary fabric.

From left: Lee Hyung-woo, professor at Pusan National University; Cho Eun-young, Lee Hee-jung and Song Myung-kwan, researchers at the Korea Institute of Materials Science. [Provided by Korea Institute of Materials Science]
From left: Lee Hyung-woo, professor at Pusan National University; Cho Eun-young, Lee Hee-jung and Song Myung-kwan, researchers at the Korea Institute of Materials Science. [Provided by Korea Institute of Materials Science]

Because the device can generate electricity from ambient light while simultaneously detecting exposure to harmful gases, it has potential applications in worker safety management at industrial sites, environmental monitoring, smart clothing and self-powered IoT sensors.

"By securing both improved power generation performance and sensor functionality in the field of fiber-type electronic devices, we have opened up new possibilities for next-generation wearable electronic textiles," Song said. "Going forward, we plan to systematically analyze the harmful gas detection characteristics of various MOF materials, build a related database, and further expand the applicability of self-powered sensor devices."

The research, supported by the National Research Council of Science and Technology's Global TOP Strategic Research Institute project, was published online June 12 in Chemical Engineering Journal (impact factor: 12.5), a peer-reviewed journal in the field of chemical engineering.


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