Fabrication of Flexible Carbon Nanotube Network on Paper Substrate: Effect of Post Treatment Temperature on Electrodes

Abstract

The electrical, thermal, chemical, and mechanical characteristics of a flexible electrode consisting of carbon nanotubes on paper were investigated under various conditions. The main driving motivation was to develop a durable and flexible film for conductive electrode applications. The general characteristics of the electrode based on carbon nanotubes were found to be sensitive to coating sequence and aging temperature and duration. The number of coatings can be used to tune network density and form a well entangled carbon nanotube layer on paper. Aging temperature was found to be critical to electrical characteristics, and 60 °C was determined to be the optimal aging temperature. At higher temperatures, calcium oxide contained in the paper may form carbonates, which change the structure of the paper, and the carbon nanotubes can be oxidized, which led to reduced electrical performance. The mechanical durability tests revealed that the electrode was functional up to a 3 mm bending radius.