In recent years, the field of conductive fabrics has been challenged by the increasing popularity of these materials in the production of conductive, flexible and lightweight textiles, so-called smart textiles, which make our lives easier. These electronic textiles can be used in a wide range of human applications, from medical devices to consumer products. Recently, several scientific results on smart textiles have been published, focusing on the key factors that affect the performance of smart textiles, such as the type of substrate, the type of conductive materials, and the manufacturing method to use them in the appropriate application. Smart textiles have already been fabricated from various fabrics and different conductive materials, such as metallic nanoparticles, conductive polymers, and carbon-based materials. In this review, we study the fabrication of conductive fabrics based on carbon materials, especially carbon nanotubes and graphene, which represent a growing class of high-performance materials for conductive textiles and provide them with superior electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. Therefore, this paper comprehensively describes conductive fabrics based on single-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, and graphene. The fabrication process, physical properties, and their increasing importance in the field of electronic devices are discussed.

Conductive threads have emerged as a highly promising platform for the advancement of smart textiles, enabling the integration of conductivity into fabric materials. In this study, we present a novel approach to fabricate highly flexible graphene-based smart threads, which exhibit exceptional electrical properties. Four distinct types of smart threads were meticulously prepared by drop-casting graphene dispersions onto cotton threads, utilizing various solvents. The influence of annealing temperature and the quantity of dispersed graphene on the electrical conductivity of the threads was systematically investigated. Our findings reveal that the electrical conductivity of the threads is significantly influenced by the type of solvent and the annealing temperature, while exhibiting an increasing trend with higher amounts of dispersed graphene. Remarkably, we achieved a maximum electrical conductivity of 2505.68 S cm⁻¹ for a thread prepared with 6 mL of graphene dispersed in ethanol, annealed at a temperature of 78 °C. Furthermore, the fabricated smart threads were successfully employed as replacements for electric cables in a mobile charger and a computer mouse, demonstrating their high efficiency. This work represents a significant advancement in the development of a new generation of smart textiles, offering a simple, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly fabrication method for the production of smart threads.