Gallic Acid-Reduced Graphene Oxide Deposited with Carbon Nanotubes for Transparent Film Heaters

Abstract

The flexible transparent film heater described in this research was based on graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Natural polyphenols gallic acid (GA) was chosen as the “green” reducing agent of graphene oxide (GO) to prepare the GA-functionalized GO (GGO). Then, the GGO nanosheets were introduced into the CNT network, and the GGO/CNT-PET composite films were successfully prepared by a simple spraying method. This type of transparent conductive film (TCF) possesses an excellent optoelectronic performance (Rs = 49.1 Ω/sq., T = ca. 80% at 550 nm) and a very low RMS roughness (approximately 6.89 nm). The sheet resistance of the films changed slightly after the 1000 bending cycles and 100 h of air exposure time, which indicated that the film has good mechanical properties and environmental stability. The composite TCFs were further applied to fabricate transparent film heaters (TFHs) and showed excellent Joule heating performance, fast response speed, good cycling stability, long-term stability, and controllable operating temperature (the power density of the TFHs shows an approximate linear behavior), which satisfy the requirements of TFHs in practical applications, such as safe voltage and temperature in wearable devices, the stable controlling temperature in smart windows, fast heating in defoggers, and so on.