Modulating Conductivity, Environmental Stability of Transparent Conducting Nanotube Films on Flexible Substrates by Interfacial Engineering

We have characterized the previously undescribed parameters for engineering the electrical properties of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) films for technological applications. First, the interfacial tension between bare SWCNT network films and a top coating passivation material was shown to dictate the variability of the films’ sheet resistance (R s) after application of the top coating. Second, the electrical stability of the coated SWCNT films was affected by the mismatch between the CTE of the supporting substrate and the SWCNT network film. An upshift in the Raman G-band spectrum of SWCNTs on bare PET suggested that compressive strain was induced by the CTE mismatch after heating and cooling. These findings provide important guidelines for the choice of substrate and passivation coating materials that promote environmental stability in SWCNT-based transparent conductive films.