Title :
Direct-write conductive fibres for soft electronics
Author :
Huang, Van Yan Shery ; Oppenheim, Thomas ; Terentjev, Eugene ; Lacour, Stephanie ; Welland, Mark
Author_Institution :
Cavendish Lab., Univ. of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Abstract :
We report the use of near-field electrospinning (NFES) as a route to fabricate composite electrodes. Electrodes made of composite fibers of carbon nanotubes in polyethylene oxide (PEO) are formed via liquid deposition, with precise control over their configuration. The electromechanical properties of free-standing fibers and fibers deposited on elastic substrates are studied in detail. We then examine the elastic deformation limit of the resulting free-standing fibers and find, similarly to bulk PEO composites, that the plastic deformation onset is below 2% of tensile strain. In comparison, the apparent deformation limit is much improved when the fibers are integrated onto a stretchable, elastic substrate. It is hoped that the NFES fabrication protocol presented here can provide a platform to direct-write polymeric electrodes, and to integrate both stiff and soft electrodes onto a variety of polymeric substrates.
Keywords :
carbon fibre reinforced plastics; carbon nanotubes; composite materials; elastic deformation; electrodes; electromechanical effects; electrospinning; flexible electronics; liquid phase deposited coatings; plastic deformation; polymer fibres; carbon nanotube; composite electrode; composite fiber; direct-write conductive fibre; direct-write polymeric electrode; elastic deformation; elastic substrate; electromechanical property; free-standing fiber; liquid deposition; near-field electrospinning; plastic deformation; polyethylene oxide; polymeric substrate; soft electrode; soft electronics; stiff electrode; tensile strain; Electrodes; Liquids; Plastics; Polymers; Spinning; Substrates; Surface treatment; Bio-electronic; Electrical property; Flexible; Mechanical property; Near field electrospinning;
Conference_Titel :
Nanotechnology (IEEE-NANO), 2012 12th IEEE Conference on
Conference_Location :
Birmingham
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4673-2198-3
DOI :
10.1109/NANO.2012.6322179