Application of Titanium-Carbide MXene-Based Transparent Conducting Electrodes in Flexible Smart Windows

Abstract

Among various available materials used in transparent and flexible devices, MXenes are attracting attention as a brand-new candidate in this category. Ti 3 C 2 Tx MXene as a 2D material has exceptional properties, making it a potential material having numerous applications in different areas. Because of its high conductivity, it can be used in transparent conducting electrodes (TCEs). In this study, the MXenes etched by highly concentrated acid at 50 °C,were spin-coated on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film and annealed at moderate temperatures up to 170 °C. The adhesion of MXene to PET was found to be remarkably improved by annealing. These TCEs exhibited a sheet resistance of ∼424 Ω/sq. and transmittance of ∼87%. The aging stability of MXene-coated PET films against oxidation under ambient conditions was studied up to 28 days and resistance change was found ∼30% during this period. The flexibility test showed low bending resistance change (∼1.5%) at 1000th cycle and cumulative resistance change of ∼20% at a bending radius of ∼3.9 mm after 1000 cycles. These transparent, flexible, and conducting electrodes were used to fabricate polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC)based flexible smart windows. The smart windows fabricated by curing PDLC mixture sandwiched between the MXene electrodes were also found flexible in ON/OFF states. The MXene-based flexible smart windows resulted in good opacity in the OFF state and high transparency in the ON state, exhibiting low threshold voltage <10 V and high transmittance ∼80% at 60 V. The flexible smart windows operated normally even at ∼4 mm bending radius.

Transparent, conductive and flexible MXene grid/silver nanowire hierarchical films for high-performance electromagnetic interference shielding

“…11 In addition to the excellent optical, electrical, and EMI shielding performances, satisfactory mechanical and structural stabilities of the transparent and conductive lms are also required for exible electronics and wearable electronic equipment applications. 4,16 The traditional transparent and conductive ITO lm has limited application because of its brittleness, 16,17 whereas the M m A n lms exhibit excellent exibility and mechanical reliability. The lm with an initial length of 2 mm can be bent outwards to form a certain arc under the action of an external force (inset of Fig.…”

“…15 However, its intrinsic mechanical brittleness, low manufacturing efficiency, and high-cost restrict its application in the elds of exible wearable devices and intelligent detection. 16,17 To date, various conductive alternatives have been reported, including carbon nanotubes (CNTs), 18,19 metal nanowires, [20][21][22] graphene, 18,[23][24][25] and transition metal carbide/ carbonitride (MXene) sheets. [26][27][28][29] Although metal nanowires with excellent photoelectric properties are used for transparent and conductive lms in the areas of touch screens, solar cells, and organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), 30 the high contact resistance between the metal nanowires is still a troublesome problem.…”

Application of New Energy Thermochromic Composite Thermosensitive Materials of Smart Windows in Recent Years

“…Figure 11 h Among the various materials available for transparent and flexible devices, MXenes is attracting attention as a new candidate material in this category [ 114 ]. Ti 3 C 2 Tx MXene has excellent properties as a 2D material, making it a potential material with many applications in different fields.…”

Advances of MXenes; Perspectives on Biomedical Research

“…MXene-based smart devices attracted recent interest for potential applications in healthcare, fitness, EMG signal analysis, and human motion monitoring [ 125 ] ( Figure 6 and Figure 7 ) because of their extreme thinness [ 126 ], transparency [ 127 ], and mechanical strength [ 128 ]. MXenes can be applied on cellulose by printing, spinning, plating, and dip coating or spray coating, which can later be integrated into garments for wearable applications [ 129 ].…”