2024 | Xenofon Karagiorgis, Dhayalan Shakhthivel, Gaurav Khandelwal, Rebecca Ginesi, Peter J. Skabara, and Ravinder Dahiya
This study presents highly conductive, transparent, and flexible PEDOT:PSS/AgNW nanofibers for transparent flexible electronics. Electrospinning was used to fabricate these fibers on various substrates, including PCL, cotton fabric, and Kapton. The fibers exhibited a sheet resistance of 7 Ω/sq, a conductivity of 354 S/cm, and a transmittance of 77%, demonstrating excellent optoelectrical properties. The fibers showed minimal change in sheet resistance after 1000 bending cycles, indicating good mechanical stability. The fibers were evaluated as electrodes in a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), showing superior performance compared to copper electrodes, with an output voltage of 78.83 V and current of 7 μA. The fibers also functioned as interconnects in an LED circuit, maintaining functionality after 1000 bending cycles. The study highlights the potential of conductive electrospun fibers as a viable alternative to expensive and unsustainable materials like indium tin oxide (ITO) for flexible and transparent electronics. The fibers were found to have better electrical properties than conductive polymer fibers, with significantly lower sheet resistance and higher conductivity. The study also demonstrates the effectiveness of the fibers in energy harvesting applications, with the TENG device showing stable performance over 16,000 cycles. The fibers were found to be suitable for use in a wide range of applications, including sensors, solar cells, and touch screens, due to their high conductivity, transparency, and flexibility. The study concludes that the developed fibers offer a promising solution for flexible and transparent electronics, with potential applications in wearable technology and energy harvesting devices.This study presents highly conductive, transparent, and flexible PEDOT:PSS/AgNW nanofibers for transparent flexible electronics. Electrospinning was used to fabricate these fibers on various substrates, including PCL, cotton fabric, and Kapton. The fibers exhibited a sheet resistance of 7 Ω/sq, a conductivity of 354 S/cm, and a transmittance of 77%, demonstrating excellent optoelectrical properties. The fibers showed minimal change in sheet resistance after 1000 bending cycles, indicating good mechanical stability. The fibers were evaluated as electrodes in a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), showing superior performance compared to copper electrodes, with an output voltage of 78.83 V and current of 7 μA. The fibers also functioned as interconnects in an LED circuit, maintaining functionality after 1000 bending cycles. The study highlights the potential of conductive electrospun fibers as a viable alternative to expensive and unsustainable materials like indium tin oxide (ITO) for flexible and transparent electronics. The fibers were found to have better electrical properties than conductive polymer fibers, with significantly lower sheet resistance and higher conductivity. The study also demonstrates the effectiveness of the fibers in energy harvesting applications, with the TENG device showing stable performance over 16,000 cycles. The fibers were found to be suitable for use in a wide range of applications, including sensors, solar cells, and touch screens, due to their high conductivity, transparency, and flexibility. The study concludes that the developed fibers offer a promising solution for flexible and transparent electronics, with potential applications in wearable technology and energy harvesting devices.