CARBON NANOTUBE-TRANSPARENT CONDUCTIVE INORGANIC NANOPARTICLES HYBRID THIN FILMS FOR TRANSPARENT CONDUCTIVE APPLICATIONS

• US 20100047522A1
• Filed: 03/16/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nano-C, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nano-C, Inc.
• Inventors: RICHTER, Henning, SIVARAJAN, Ramesh, VEJINS, Viktor
• Granted Patent: US 9,214,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/143
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 32/18 Nanoonions; Nanoscrolls; Nanohorns; Nanocones; Nanowalls
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 2003/2231 of tin
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/04 Carbon
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/041 Carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/22 of metals
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 1/284 with hydroxylated hydrocarbon radicals
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 101/284 with hydroxylated hydrocarbon radicals
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/18 the conductive material comprising carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24372 Particulate matter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/25 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and including a second component containing structurally defined particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/30 Self-sustaining carbon mass or layer with impregnant or other layer

Abstract

An optically transparent, electrically conductive hybrid film includes a carbon nanotubes network deposited on a substrate, and a population of transparent conductive inorganic nanoparticles distributed throughout the carbon nanotubes network to provide a conductive transparent hybrid film.

Claims

1. An optically transparent, electrically conductive hybrid film comprising:

a carbon nanotube (CNT) network, and

a population of transparent conductive inorganic nanoparticles (TCINs) distributed throughout the carbon nanotube network to provide a conductive transparent nanoscale hybrid film.

2. The hybrid film of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotubes are chemically dertivatized (functionalized).

3. The hybrid film of claim 1, wherein the transparent conductive inorganic nanoparticles (TCIN) are pristine or chemically derivatized (functionalized).

4. The hybrid film of claim 1, further comprising:

a coating of colloidal transparent conductive inorganic nanoparticles disposed on the upper surface of the hybrid film, said colloidal transparent conductive nanoparticles having a particle size less than the transparent conductive inorganic nanoparticles.

5. The hybrid film of claim 4, wherein the rms surface roughness of the hybrid film is less than about 2 nm.

6. The hybrid film of claim 1, wherein the transparent conductive inorganic nanoparticles have an aspect ratio of about 1 to about 5.

7. The hybrid film of claim 1, wherein the the transparent conductive inorganic nanoparticles are spherical, oblong, prismatic, ellipsoidal, rods, and irregularly shaped.

8. The hybrid film of claim 1, wherein the optical transparency of the hybrid film is greater than about 70%.

9. The hybrid film of claim 1, wherein the electrical conductance of the hybrid film is less than about 2000 ohms/square

10. The hybrid film of claim 1, wherein the optical transparency of the hybrid film is between about 75-95% and the surface resistance of the hybrid film is about 10-2000 ohms/square.

11. The hybrid film of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the amount of CNT:

TCIN range from about 10;

90 to about 90;

10 by weight.

12. The hybrid film of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the hybrid film range from about 2 nm to about 100 nm.

13. The hybrid film of claim 1, wherein the surface coverage of the hybrid film is greater than about 10%.

14. A method of preparing a hybrid film comprising:

providing a first suspension of carbon nanotubes in a first solvent;

providing a second suspension of transparent conductive inorganic nanoparticlesin a second solvent;

applying the carbon nanotubes to a substrate to form a carbon nanotube network; and

applying the transparent conductive inorganic nanoparticles to the substrate to form a population of transparent conductive inorganic nanoparticles distributed throughout the carbon nanotube network.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second suspension is applied after deposition of the first suspension.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the carbon nanotubes and the transparent conductive inorganic nanoparticles are oppositely charged.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a third suspension or solution of a binder material capable of attracting the carbon nanotubes and transparent conductive inorganic nanoparticles and applying the binder material between said applying the carbon nanotubes step and said applying the transparent conductive inorganic nanoparticles step.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the carbon nanotubes and the transparent conductive inorganic nanoparticles have the same electrical charge and the binder material is oppositely charged from the carbon nanotubes and the transparent conductive inorganic nanoparticles.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising applying a suspension of colloidal transparent conductive inorganic nanoparticles on the upper surface of the hybrid film, said colloidal transparent conductive nanoparticles having a particle size less than the transparent conductive inorganic nanoparticles.