CNT/conducting polymer composite conductors impart high flexibility to textile electroluminescent devices

Abstract

Highly transparent polyethylene terephthalate (PET) mesh fabrics were dip coated with carbon nanotubes (CNT) followed by inkjet printing with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) to develop textile-based CNT/PEDOT:PSS composite conductors. These coated fabrics show a combination of conductivity, transparency and flexibility suitable for use in flexible displays. Sequential CNT and PEDOT:PSS coating greatly enhances the conductivity at high tensile strains without reducing the optical transparency. Electroluminescent (EL) devices using such textile-based CNT/PEDOT:PSS composite conductors as the front electrodes exhibit superior flexibility and mechanical robustness over their ITO-coated PET film-based counterparts under stretching and tight bending.