Issue 10, 2010

Polyelectrolyte and carbon nanotube multilayers made from ionic liquid solutions

Abstract

The inevitable contact of substrates with water during the traditional practice of layer-by-layer assembly (LBL) creates problems for multiple potential applications of LBL films in electronics. To resolve this issue, we demonstrate here the possibility of a LBL process using ionic liquids (ILs), which potentially eliminates corrosion and hydration processes related to aqueous media and opens additional possibilities in structural control of LBL films. ILs are also considered to be one of the best “green” processing solvents, and hence, are advantageous in respect to traditional organic solvents. Poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) and poly(sodium styrenesulfonate) (PSS) were dispersed in a hydrophilic IL and successfully deposited in the LBL fashion. To produce electroactive thin films with significance to electronics, a similar process was realized for PSS-modified single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT-PSS) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). Characterization of the coating using standard spectroscopy and microscopy techniques typical of the multilayer field indicated that there are both similarities and differences in the structure and properties of LBL films build from ILs and aqueous solutions. The films exhibited electrical conductivity of 102 S m−1 with transparency as high as 98% for visible light, which is comparable to similar parameters for many carbon nanotube and graphene films prepared by both aqueous LBL and other methods.

Graphical abstract: Polyelectrolyte and carbon nanotube multilayers made from ionic liquid solutions

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
03 נוב 2009
Accepted
31 דצמ 2009
First published
01 פבר 2010

Nanoscale, 2010,2, 2084-2090

Polyelectrolyte and carbon nanotube multilayers made from ionic liquid solutions

T. Nakashima, J. Zhu, M. Qin, S. Ho and N. A. Kotov, Nanoscale, 2010, 2, 2084 DOI: 10.1039/B9NR00333A

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