Graphene-doped PEDOT:PSS nanocomposite thin films fabricated by conventional and substrate vibration-assisted spray coating (SVASC)

Abstract

In this paper, successful fabrication of highly conductive transparent graphene-doped PEDOT:PSS composite thin films is reported for the first time, using conventional and substrate vibration-assisted ultrasonic spray coating (SVASC). To suppress the challenges associated with spraying of the precursor solution containing graphene, graphene sheets were broken by sonication and were uniformly dispersed and stabilized in PEDOT:PSS aqueous solution using isopropyl alcohol (IPA). The mechanism of dispersion of graphene in PEDOT:PSS aqueous solution using IPA is elucidated. The maximum electrical conductivity of 298 S.cm−1 was obtained for a graphene-doped PEDOT:PSS thin film, which compared to the pristine PEDOT:PSS thin films shows a ten-fold increase, with a transparency comparable to that of the indium tin oxide (ITO)-coated glass.