Transparent Heaters: A Review

Abstract

Transparent heaters (TH) have attracted intense attention from both scientific and industrial sectors due to the key role they play in many technologies, including smart windows, deicers, defoggers, displays, actuators, and sensors. While transparent conductive oxides have dominated the field for the past five decades, a new generation of THs based on nanomaterials has led to new paradigms in terms of applications and prospects in the past years. Here, the most recent developments and strategies to improve the properties, stability, and integration of these new THs are reviewed.

Spray-coated PEDOT:OTf films: thermoelectric properties and integration into a printed thermoelectric generator

“…Among CPs, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) arouses great interest in the scientific community because of its high electrical conductivity (up to several thousand S cm À1 ) and a relatively high environmental stability. [25][26][27][28][29][30] Furthermore, in presence of the hydrophilic counter-anion polystyrenesulfonate (PSS), PEDOT can be dispersed in water (PEDOT:PSS), which greatly facilitates its handling. Such solutions of PEDOT:PSS are commercially available.…”

Conformable on-skin devices for thermo-electro-tactile stimulation: materials, design, and fabrication

“…For application as conformable electronics, it is worth mentioning that the devices do not necessarily need to have characteristics like ultra-high strain and high transmittance which are appealing for other applications as soft-robotics and smart-architecture. 21,[94][95][96] One of the most common methodology to prepare flexible conductive composite is to make use of percolation networks of metallic nanowires (NWs) or nanofibers (NFs) on flexible, biocompatible substrates. Compared to nanoparticles, the use of these nanostructures results in a lower percolation threshold and thus they influence to a smaller extent the mechanical properties of the matrix.…”

“…118 Other interesting candidates for conformable heaters are intrinsically conductive polymers (CP). 96,119 Polymers like polypyrrole, polyaniline, and PEDOT:PSS possess good conductivity, 1 are considered biocompatible, 42 and can be patterned easily to make circuits. 5,120,121 The latter polymer in particular attracted much attention because it is water-processable and for its chemical and thermal stability.…”

Failing Forward: Stability of Transparent Electrodes Based on Metal Nanowire Networks

“…[ 1 ] They are mainly used in optoelectronic devices [ 2 ] either to collect charges from nearby functional layers (such as in the case of solar cells) or to supply these functional layers with charge carriers (such as in the case of light emitting diode displays) while allowing light to either escape or enter the device, respectively. However, TEs are also attractive for a wider range of applications, including transparent film heaters (TFHs), [ 3 ] touch screens, [ 4 ] or transparent electromagnetic shielding. [ 5 ]…”