Fabrication of conductive and transparent single-walled carbon nanotube films with PEDOT

• Published in: Polymer journal Vol. 44; no. 12; pp. 1238 - 1243
• Main Authors: Yun, Hyungduk, Hun Han, Jong, Kim, Sanghyo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.12.2012; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 639/301/357/551; 639/301/357/73; 639/638/455; Applied sciences; Biomaterials; Bioorganic Chemistry; Carbon nanotubes; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Chemistry/Food Science; Composites; Electric contacts; Electrical resistivity; Exact sciences and technology; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Networks; original-article; Polyethylene terephthalates; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Polymer Sciences; Single wall carbon nanotubes; Surfaces and Interfaces; Technology of polymers; Thin Films; electropolymerization; 4-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid; poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene); single-walled carbon nanotube; Transparency; Electrical properties; Aromatic polymer; Carbon nanotubes; Experimental study; Electrochemical polymerization; Spray coating; Sulfonic acid; Conducting polymers; Anionic surfactant; Singlewalled nanotube; Sheet resistivity; Thiophene derivative polymer; Ethylenedioxythiophene polymer; Optical properties; Morphology; Doped polymer; Nanocomposite; Manufacturing; Transparent material
• ISSN: 0032-3896; 1349-0540
• DOI: 10.1038/pj.2012.87

In this paper, the fabrication of highly conductive and transparent films of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) on top of polyethylene terephthalate film (PET) substrates is demonstrated using electropolymerization without sacrificing transparency. A sheet resistance of 250 Ω sq −1 is achieved with a transparency of 93% at a 550 nm wavelength. The enhancement in the conductivity was attributed to the ability to bridge the gaps between the individual carbon nanotubes with the help of PEDOT, which increases the number of electric tube–tube junction contacts within the SWCNT network. Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) is electropolymerized on a single-walled carbon nanotube film to reduce sheet resistance without causing loss in transparency.