Extremely Foldable and Highly Transparent Nanofiber-Based Electrodes for Liquid Crystal Smart Devices

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Transparent electrodes are crucial for flexible electronics.
• Traditional indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes lack mechanical flexibility and durability.
• Developing alternative transparent conductive films with enhanced mechanical properties is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop highly transparent and foldable electrodes using nylon 6 nanofiber-reinforced cellulose acetate (NF-r-CA) films.
• To investigate the mechanical reinforcement provided by nylon 6 nanofibers in cellulose acetate films.
• To evaluate the electrochemical and mechanical performance of the developed electrodes compared to ITO.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of NF-r-CA films via infiltration of cellulose acetate into nylon 6 nanofiber membranes.
• Preparation of NF45-r-CA electrodes using silver nanowires (AgNWs) via electrospinning.
• Characterization of surface morphology, mechanical properties, optical transparency, and sheet resistance.
• Testing of electrode durability through repeated bending cycles and comparison with ITO electrodes.
• Integration of NF45-r-CA electrodes into a foldable polymer-disperse liquid crystal film.

Main Results:

• NF-r-CA films exhibited improved mechanical properties due to nanofiber reinforcement.
• NF-r-CA transparent films showed smooth surface morphologies with cellulose acetate infiltration.
• NF45-r-CA electrodes achieved ~90% transparency, ~24 Ω sq⁻¹ sheet resistance, and 59.7 MPa mechanical strength.
• NF45-r-CA electrodes maintained stable electrical performance after 10,000 bending cycles (1 mm radius), unlike ITO electrodes.
• The foldable liquid crystal film using NF45-r-CA electrodes demonstrated excellent working stability after 500 bending cycles (1.5 mm radius).

Conclusions:

• Nylon 6 nanofiber reinforcement effectively enhances the mechanical properties of cellulose acetate films for transparent electrode applications.
• The developed NF-r-CA electrodes offer superior transparency, conductivity, and mechanical durability compared to conventional ITO electrodes.
• These highly transparent and foldable NF-r-CA electrodes are promising for next-generation flexible electronic devices, including foldable displays and touch screens.