Abstract: Smart textiles, which respond to external stimuli, have a wide range of applications, from protective gear to wearable electronics. Among textile materials, leather stands out for its high tear strength and flexibility. However, challenges in imparting conductivity to leather include leftover dopant metal ions and additives from in situ polymerization, poor dispersion of presynthesized conductive polymers, and nondegradability of conductive or matrix materials. In this work, we developed two degradable nanoparticles (NP1 (diameter = 120 nm) and NP2 (diameter = 245 nm)) using a castor oil-based cross-linker, butyl acrylate, and acrylic acid. These cross-linked nanoparticles effectively dispersed polypyrrole (PPy) and exhibited conductivities of 4.69 × 10 –4 and 5.57 × 10 –4 S/cm for PPy-NP1- and PPy-NP2-coated leather, respectively. A nearly 2-fold increase in conductivity was observed for the nanoparticle-dispersed coating (PPy-NP1) compared to the non-nanoparticle polymer coating (PPy-Pol). Beyond conductivity, the nanoparticle-based coating enhanced leather’s surface hydrophobicity and resistance to E. coli and B. subtilis bacteria. We also demonstrated the degradability of the nanoparticle and the recovery of PPy (nearly 30%). The coated materials were tested for thermal and physical stability by using TGA, DSC, and rub fastness tests. To showcase real-world applications, we developed a prototype glove and tested its touchscreen responsiveness. The glove exhibited excellent touchscreen responsiveness and the material exhibited strong physical and thermal stability ( T g and T ini = −6.0 to 228.5 °C, respectively) and reliable performance in low temperatures, making it ideal for conductive surfaces on protective gear in cold environments.
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