A graphene sheet exfoliated with microwave irradiation and interlinked by carbon nanotubes for high-performance transparent flexible electrodes

Abstract

High quality graphene was obtained though microwave irradiated expansion following a solution process. This method is facile, inexpensive, and produces usable results. Ultrathin, uniform graphene films were fabricated at room temperature by a vacuum filtration method. Combining carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as bridges between graphene flakes allowed the fabrication of high-performance conductive films for flexible applications, with conductivities and optical properties comparable to commercial ITO: 181 Omega sq(-1) at 82.2% transmittance after chemical treatment and doping. With future work, this versatile material could well provide an appropriate transparent electrode for flexible optical electronics.