Flexible, Highly Durable, and Thermally Stable SWCNT/Polyimide Transparent Electrodes

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Flexible, transparent, and conductive electrodes are crucial for advanced electronic devices.
• Polyimide (PI) offers a transparent and flexible substrate for electrode fabrication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare four fabrication methods for transparent and conductive single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT)/PI electrodes.
• To identify an optimal method for producing durable and thermally stable SWCNT/PI electrodes.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of SWCNT/PI electrodes using four distinct schemes.
• In situ imidization process combined with nitric acid doping treatment.
• Characterization of optical, electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties.

Main Results:

• An in situ imidization and nitric acid doping method produced highly durable and thermally stable SWCNT/PI electrodes.
• The best electrode exhibited 77.6% transparency at 550 nm and a sheet resistance of 1169 ± 172 Ω/□.
• Electrodes maintained performance after rigorous bending, folding, tape peeling, and wiping tests.

Conclusions:

• The developed fabrication method is promising for producing high-performance flexible, transparent, and conductive electrodes.
• The SWCNT/PI electrodes demonstrate excellent durability and thermal stability for flexible electronic applications.