Flexible Film Heater Fabricated by Optimized PEDOT:PSS-GO/AgNW Composite Transparent Conductive Film with Enhanced Water Resistance

Abstract

Silver nanowire (AgNW) network film is transparent conductive material with good potential in flexible electronics. PEDOT:PSS as coating on AgNW film can obviously improve the adhesion, surface smoothness and mechanical flexibility of the film. However, PEDOT:PSS tends to be dissolved in water, and its water absorption and acidity are also detrimental to the stability of the film. In this paper, we mixed PEDOT:PSS solution with graphene oxide (GO) solution, and spin-coated the hybrid on the surface of AgNW film to prepare PEDOT:PSS-GO/AgNW composite film. The transparent conductive composite film exhibits good adhesion on substrate, lower surface roughness, better thermal stability and mechanical flexibility than both AgNW film and PEDOT:PSS/AgNW film. In addition, the PEDOT:PSS-GO layer showed obviously improved water resistance compared to PEDOT:PSS. After being immersed in water for 1 h, the PEDOT:PSS-GO/AgNW film still exhibited good adhesion on substrate, while the PEDOT:PSS/AgNW film showed weak resistant to tape test due to the dissolution of PEDOT:PSS. Flexible film heaters were fabricated based on PEDOT:PSS- GO/AgNW composite film, which exhibited fast response, uniform heat distribution and high temperature at low voltages under bending conditions.