Highly Conductive Graphene and Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Thin Films Produced From Aqueous Suspension.
Rapid, large-scale exfoliation of graphene in water has expanded its potential for use outside niche applications. This work focuses on utilizing aqueous graphene dispersions to form thin films using layer-by-layer processing, which is an effective method to produce large-area coatings from water-based solutions of polyelectrolytes. When layered with polyethyleneimine, graphene flakes stabilized with cholate are shown to be capable of producing films thinner than 100 nm. High surface coverage of graphene flakes results in electrical conductivity up to 5500 S m-1. With the relative ease of processing, the safe, cost effective nature of the ingredients, and the scalability of the deposition method, this system should be industrially attractive for producing thin conductive films for a variety of electronic and antistatic applications.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
Bart
B
Stevens
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
Tyler
T
Guin
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
Owais
O
Sarwar
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
Alyssa
A
John
School of Physics, University of Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Keith R
KR
Paton
School of Physics, University of Dublin, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Jonathan N
JN
Coleman
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
Jaime C
JC
Grunlan
electrical conductivity; graphene; layer-by-layer; polyelectrolyte multilayer thin films; thin films