Press-transfer optically transparent electrodes fabricated from commercial single-walled carbon nanotubes

A simple method for the fabrication of optically transparent electrodes (OTE) from commercial single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) is presented. We disperse SWCNT in organic solvents, avoiding surfactants. Films obtained by filtering are transferred to non-conductive polymer substrates only by pressure, avoiding the chemical removing of the filter. The electro-optical properties of the electrodes have been studied and optimized using an experimental design strategy, concluding that both properties depend on the total mass of SWCNT transferred to the support. In general, well-interconnected SWCNT networks yield little differences in the electrochemical behavior. However, it has been observed that electrodes with a high mass of SWCNT produce significant changes in the voltammograms, obtaining unexpected ratios between the anodic and cathodic peak currents. SWCNT-OTE have been used to study the electropolymerization of aniline.

► We produce SWCNT-OTE using a very simple methodology.
► We do not use surfactants and it is not necessary to dissolve the filter.
► We can produce OTE using any kind of carbon nanotubes.
► We propose an experimental design to optimize the SWCNT-OTE properties
► The electrochemical behavior depends on the amount of SWCNT