You Zeng

The fabrication of a carbon nanotube transparent conductive film by electrophoretic deposition and hot-pressing transfer

A super-flexible single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) transparent conductive film (TCF) was produced based on a combination of electrophoretic deposition (EPD) and hot-pressing transfer. EPD was performed in a diluted SWCNT suspension with high zeta potential prepared by a pre-dispersion-then-dilution procedure using sodium dodecyl sulfate as the surfactant and negative charge supplier. A SWCNT film was deposited on a stainless steel anode surface by direct current electrophoresis and then transferred to a poly(ethylene terephthalate) substrate by hot-pressing to achieve a flexible SWCNT TCF. The SWCNT TCF obtained by this technique can achieve a sheet resistance of 220 Omega/sq with 81% transparency at 550 nm wavelength and a strong adhesion to the substrate. More importantly, no decrease in the conductivity of the SWCNT TCF was detected after 10 000 cycles of repeated bending. The result indicates that the EPD and hot-pressing transfer technique is an effective approach for fabricating a carbon nanotube TCF with excellent flexibility.

Design and reinforcement: vertically aligned carbon nanotube-based sandwich composites.

Carbon nanotube (CNT) reinforcement of polymer composites has not yielded optimum results in that the composite properties are typically compromised by poor dispersion and random orientation of CNTs in polymers. Given the short lengths available for nanotubes, opportunities lie in incorporating CNTs with other structural reinforcements such as carbon fibers (CFs) to achieve improvement over existing composite designs. Growth of vertically aligned CNTs (VACNTs) offers new avenues for designing high-performance composites by integrating CFs and nanotubes into layered 3D architectures. To obtain composites with high rigidity and damping, we have designed and fabricated VACNT-based sandwich composites from simply stacking the freestanding VACNTs and CF fabrics and infiltrating with epoxy matrix. Comparing with the CF/epoxy laminates, the VACNT-based sandwich composites exhibit higher flexural rigidity and damping, which is achieved due to the effective integration of the VACNTs as an interfacial layer between the CF stacks. Furthermore, the lighter weight of these VACNT-based sandwich composites offers advantages in aerospace and transportation applications.

Positive temperature coefficient thermistors based on carbon nanotube/polymer composites

In order to explore availability of carbon nanotube (CNT)-based positive temperature coefficient (PTC) thermistors in practical application, we prepared carbon nanotube (CNT) filled high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites by using conventional melt-mixing methods, and investigated their PTC effects in details. The CNT-based thermistors exhibit much larger hold current and higher hold voltage, increasing by 129% in comparison with the commercial carbon black (CB) filled HDPE thermistors. Such high current-bearing and voltage-bearing capacity for the CNT/HDPE thermistors is mainly attributed to high thermal conductivity and heat dissipation of entangled CNT networks. Moreover, the CNT/HDPE thermistors exhibit rapid electrical response to applied voltages, comparable to commercial CB-based thermistors. In light of their high current-bearing capacity and quick response, the CNT-based thermistors have great potential to be used as high-performance thermistors in practical application, especially in some critical circumstances of high temperature, large applied currents, and high applied voltages.

Preparation and Photovoltaic Properties of Flexible Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Flexible dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) were prepared by using carbon nanotube transparent conductive films (CNT-TCFs) as flexible substrates, and their photovoltaic properties were investigated as well. The flexible DSCs show typical photovoltaic characteristics with short-circuit current of 0.78 μA and open-circuit voltage of 1.48 mV, which was strongly influenced by heat-treatment temperature, type of dyes, and electrical resistivity. In light of their lighter weight and higher flexibility than conventional DSCs based on conductive glass substrates, the flexible DSCs have great potential as functional photoelectric components in many fields.