Method of infusing fibrous substrate with conductive organic particles and conductive polymer; and conductive fibrous substrates prepared therefrom

• US 10,002,686 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2015
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Connecticut (State of Connecticut)
• Original Assignee: University of Connecticut (State of Connecticut)
• Inventors: Sotzing, Gregory, Adamson, Douglas, Woltornist, Steven, Alamer, Fahad
• Primary Examiner(s): Kopec, Mark T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas, Jaison P
• Application Number:
  US15/124,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20170018326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/02 on fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2255/26 Polymeric coating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0253 Polyolefin fibres vinyl or acrylic copolymers B32B2262/0223 or B32B2262/0246
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0261 Polyamide fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0276 Polyester fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/0292 Polyurethane fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/102 Oxide or hydroxide
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/108 Carbon, e.g. graphite particles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/202 Conductive
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/412 Transparent
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2457/00 Electrical equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/12 next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/022 Non-woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 5/024 Woven fabric
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/127 comprising five-membered aromatic rings in the main chain, e.g. polypyrroles, polythiophenes
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/24 the conductive material comprising carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon

Abstract

A method of infusing fibrous substrates with conductive organic particles (e.g. graphene/graphite) and conductive polymer, and the resulting electrically conductive fibrous substrates prepared therefrom are disclosed. All organic electrically conductive fibrous substrates prepared from synthetic fibrous substrates, graphene/graphite, and conductive polymer have been prepared having high electrical conductivity.

Claims

1. An electrically conductive fibrous substrate, comprising:

a fibrous substrate comprising fibers, wherein the fibers are polymeric fibers comprising desiccant particles wherein a portion of the desiccant particles are located at the surface of the polymeric fibers;

an electrically conductive polymer; and

a conductive organic particle,

wherein the fibrous substrate is infused with the electrically conductive polymer and conductive organic particle.

2. The electrically conductive fibrous substrate of claim 1, wherein the conductive organic particle is graphene, graphite, a combination of graphene and graphite, carbon nanotubes, buckyballs, “

n-type”

small molecules, or a combination thereof.

3. The electrically conductive fibrous substrate of claim 2, wherein the graphene, graphite or graphene and graphite is present in an amount of about 0.2 to about 20 wt % based on the total weight of the electrically conductive fibrous substrate.

4. The electrically conductive fibrous substrate of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive polymer is poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):

poly(styrene sulfonate), a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), a substituted poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), poly(thiophene), a substituted poly(thiophene), poly(pyrrole), a substituted poly(pyrrole), poly(aniline), a substituted poly(aniline), poly(acetylene), poly(p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV), a poly(indole), a substituted poly(indole), a poly(carbazole), a substituted poly(carbazole), a poly(azepine), a (poly)thieno[3,4-b]thiophene, a substituted poly(thieno[3,4-b]thiophene), a poly(dithieno[3,4-b;

3′

,4′

-d]thiophene), a poly(thieno[3,4-b]furan), a substituted poly(thieno[3,4-b]furan), a derivative thereof, or a combination thereof.

5. The electrically conductive fibrous substrate of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive polymer is present in an amount of about 0.1 to about 16 wt % based on the total weight of the electrically conductive fibrous substrate.

6. The electrically conductive fibrous substrate of claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive polymer is poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):

poly(styrene sulfonate) present in an amount of about 0.1 to about 16 wt % based on the total weight of the electrically conductive fibrous substrate.

7. The electrically conductive fibrous substrate of claim 1, wherein the desiccant particles are SiO₂, TiO₂, aluminum oxide, calcium oxide, or a combination thereof.

8. The electrically conductive fibrous substrate of claim 1, wherein the desiccant particles have a particle size of about 1 nanometer to about 500 nanometers.

9. The electrically conductive fibrous substrate of claim 1, wherein the desiccant particles are present in an amount of about 0.01 to about 6.0 wt % by weight in the fiber.

10. The electrically conductive fibrous substrate of claim 1, wherein the fiber is nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 610, nylon 12, co-polymerized nylon, polyethylene terephthalate, polytrimethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polypropylene terephthalate, polyurethane, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyurethane-polyurea copolymer, polyester-based polyurethane, copolymers thereof, or a combination thereof.

11. The electrically conductive fibrous substrate of claim 1, further comprising a dopant.

12. The electrically conductive fibrous substrate of claim 1, which exhibits sheet resistances ranging from about 0.15 to about 10 Ohms/square.

13. The electrically conductive fibrous substrate of claim 1, which exhibits metallic behavior at temperatures above 20°

C.

14. The electrically conductive fibrous substrate of claim 1, used as an electrode, an electrically conducting wire, replacement for indium tin oxide or copper wiring, an electrochromic display, used as a component in an electronic device, thin film batteries and energy storage, transparent solar cells, RFID, sensors, electric contacts, thermoelectrics, or smart textiles.

15. A method of making an electrically conductive fibrous substrate, comprising:

infusing a fibrous substrate with a conductive organic particle to form a conductive organic particle infused fibrous substrate; and

infusing the conductive organic particle infused fibrous substrate with an electrically conductive polymer to form an electrically conductive fibrous substrate;

wherein the fibrous substrate comprises polymeric fibers comprising desiccant particles wherein a portion of the desiccant particles are located at the surface of the polymeric fibers.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the electrically conductive polymer is drop cast, spray coated, ink jet coated, dip coated, spin coated, gravure coated, extrusion coated onto the fibrous substrate as a suspension.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the conductive organic particle is graphene, graphite or graphene and graphite.

18. The method of claim 15, comprising infusing a fibrous substrate with graphene and graphite using an interfacial method.

19. An electrically conductive fibrous substrate, comprising:

a fibrous substrate comprising polymeric fibers comprising desiccant nanoparticles wherein a portion of the desiccant particles are located at the surface of the polymeric fibers;

poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene);

poly(styrene sulfonate); and

graphene, graphite, or graphene and graphite,

wherein the fibrous substrate is infused with the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene);

poly(styrene sulfonate) and graphene, graphite, or graphene and graphite.