MADE in SC Research Area: Thrust 2
Highly conductive and transparent reduced graphene oxide films
Igor Luzinov, graduate student Nikolay Borodinov and UG student Mark Anayee, Clemson University
Despite noteworthy progress in the fabrication of large-area graphene sheet-like nanomaterials, the vapor-based processing still requires sophisticated equipment and a multistage handling of the material. An alternative approach to manufacturing functional graphene-based films includes the employment of graphene oxide (GO) micron-scale sheets as precursors. However, search for a scalable manufacturing technique to produce high-quality GO nanoscale films with high uniformity and high electrical conductivity is continuing.
In a collaborative project with the Georgia Tech, a straightforward and technology-friendly dip-coating method to produce highly conductive (up to 104 S/cm) and transparent (~ 90%) reduced GO (rGO) monolayers and bi-layers has been developed and demonstrated. The method allows for controlling the thickness of the rGO layer with single-layer precision and achieving a high coherency and robustness of the fabricated layers. Moreover, the method of deposition is environmentally friendly and does not involve toxic organic solvents, and it can utilize conventional industrial equipment and be employed for the manufacturing of rGO-based conductive films on different substrates. Given the scalability of dip-coating deposition technology, the commercial manufacturing of large-scale transparent (in a broad range of wavelengths) and conductive nanoscale films can be straightforwardly realized using this method. rGO films will be investigated as essential signaling/sensing element in stimuli-responsive systems.
Figure is from Dr. Luzinov’s publication: Savchak, Mykhailo; Borodinov, Nikolay; Burtovyy, Ruslan; Anayee, Mark; Hu, Kesong; Ma, Ruilong; Grant, Anise; Li, Hongmei; Cutshall, Daniel B.; Wen, Yimei; Koley, Goutam; Harrell, William R.; Chumanov, George; Tsukruk, Vladimir; Luzinov, Igor (2018). Highly Conductive and Transparent Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanoscale Films via Thermal Conversion of Polymer-Encapsulated Graphene Oxide Sheets. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS INTERFACES. 10(4), 3975-3985
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