Poly(vinyl alcohol)/reduced graphene oxide multilayered coatings: The effect of filler content on gas barrier and surface resistivity properties

Abstract

Polymer-filler multilayered coatings fabricated by layer-by-layer (LbL) methods exhibit enhanced gas barrier properties alongside with transparency and flexibility. However, the traditional LbL methods which consist of repeated cycles of dipping (or spinning), washing, and drying, are time-consuming and complex to industrialize. Here, it is proposed an easy-operating and time-saving rod-coating assisted LbL method for the fabrication of poly(vinyl alcohol)/reduced graphene oxide (PVA/rGO) multilayered coatings on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) substrates. Scanning electron microscopies revealed that PVA/rGO multilayered coatings exhibited a brick-and-wall structure with PVA able to bind the rGO buildings blocks. The oxygen transmission rate of the films coated with five layers of PVA/rGO coatings (8.4 cm3 m-2 day-1 atm-1) is about 92% lower than that of the uncoated PET substrate, whereas the optical transparency is still 94%. The water permeability of films coated with the multi-layered PVA/rGO coatings is about 30% lower than that of pristine PET substrate. Furthermore, the resulting films exhibited a low surface resistivity, which contrasts the negative effects of static electricity accumulation, and high mechanical property, fulfilling the technological requirements for traditional application in electronic packaging.