title: A three-dimensionally chitin nanofiber/carbon nanotube hydrogel network for foldable conductive paper.
abstract: We reported a highly conductive nanocomposite made with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and chitin nanofibers (ChNFs). The MWCNTs were dispersed into ChNFs by the simple process of vacuum-filtration, forming a three-dimensional network structure. In this approach, MWCNT acted as a filler to introduce electron channel paths throughout the ChNF skeleton. And then, a hybrid hydrogel system (20 wt.% NaOH, -18 °C) was applied to prepare the ChNF/MWCNT gel-film followed with drying process. It is found that the resultant ChNF/MWCNT gel-film exposed much more MWCNT areas forming denser structure due to the shrinking of ChNFs after the gelation treatment. Compared with ChNF/MWCNT film, the one treated under hydrogel system (ChNF/MWCNT gel-film) exhibited almost twice higher conductivity (9.3S/cm for 50 wt.% MWCNTs in gel-film; whereas 4.7S/cm for 50 wt.% MWCNTs in film). Moreover, the facile and low-cost of this conductive paper may have great potential in development of foldable electronic devices.
authors.affiliation: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
authors.forename: Chuchu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
authors.forename: Chuang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China.
authors.forename: Suiyi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China. Electronic address: njfu_ccc@163.com.
authors.forename: Dagang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D002686:Chitin / Q000737:chemistry*; D003890:Desiccation; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004581:Electronics / Q000295:instrumentation; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010209:Paper
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D002686:Chitin; D020136:Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate
keywords: Carbon nanotube; Chitin nanofiber; Highly conductive paper; Hybrid hydrogel system; Three dimensional nanonetwork