# US 8,540,542 B2 · Transparent conductive nano-composites

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- Number: US 8,540,542 B2
- Document ID: US8540542B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/083,122
- Filed: 2011-04-08
- Published: 2011-09-01
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2006-12-27
- Assignees: UT-Battelle, LLC; University of Tennessee Research Foundation
- Applicants: David Bruce Geohegan; Ilia N. Ivanov; Alexander A. Puretzky; Stephen Jesse; Bin Hu; Matthew Garrett; Bin Zhao
- Inventors: David Bruce Geohegan; Ilia N. Ivanov; Alexander A. Puretzky; Stephen Jesse; Bin Hu; Matthew Garrett; Bin Zhao
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8540542B2

## CPC

- H10K 85/221: {Carbon nanotubes}
- B82Y 30/00: Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
- B82Y 40/00: Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
- C01B 32/16: Preparation
- C01B 32/17: Purification
- C01B 32/174: Derivatisation; Solubilisation; Dispersion in solvents
- C08J 5/005: {Reinforced macromolecular compounds with nanosized materials, e.g. nanoparticles, nanofibres, nanotubes, nanowires, nanorods or nanolayered materials}
- H01B 1/24: the conductive material comprising carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon
- C01B 2202/02: Single-walled nanotubes
- C01B 2202/08: Aligned nanotubes
- C01B 2202/34: Length
- C01B 2202/36: Diameter
- Y02E 10/549: Organic PV cells
- Y10S 428/917: Electroluminescent
- H10K: ORGANIC ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- C01B: NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; {METALLOIDS OR COMPOUNDS THEREOF NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASS C01C}
- C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29)
- H01B: CABLES; CONDUCTORS; INSULATORS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR CONDUCTIVE, INSULATING OR DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES (selection for magnetic properties H01F1/00; waveguides H01P {; printed circuits H05K})
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

The present invention, in one embodiment, provides a method of forming an organic electric device that includes providing a plurality of carbon nanostructures; and dispersing the plurality of carbon nanostructures in a polymeric matrix to provide a polymeric composite, wherein when the plurality of carbon nanostructures are present at a first concentration an interface of the plurality of carbon nanostructures and the polymeric matrix is characterized by charge transport when an external energy is applied, and when the plurality of carbon nanostructures are present at a second concentration the interface of the plurality of carbon nanostructures and the polymeric matrix are characterized by exciton dissociation when an external energy is applied, wherein the first concentration is less than the second concentration.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of forming an organic electric device comprising:
providing a plurality of conductive nanostructures; and
dispersing the plurality of conductive nanostructures in a polymeric matrix to provide a polymeric composite, wherein the plurality of conductive nanostructures are present in the polymeric matrix at a concentration below a percolation threshold for the conductive nanostructures, wherein the organic electric device is characterized by an electroluminescent response.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first concentration of the plurality of conductive nanostructures provides an organic light emitting diode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of dispersing the plurality of carbon nanostructure in polymeric matrix comprises a solvent, wherein the solvent comprises ortho-dichloro benzene (ODCB), chloroform (CHCl3), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), sodium cholate (SC), sodium dodecyl benzene sulphonate (SDBS), t-octyl phenoxy polyethoxyethanol, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the step of dispersing the plurality of carbon nanostructures in the polymeric matrix comprises adding charge transfer elements and dopant materials to the solvent, wherein the charge transfer elements and the dopant materials reduce a resistance at a junction of the carbon nanostructures and the polymeric matrix.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the conductive nanostructures are provided by laser vaporization, treated with an acid treatment, and oxidized to high purity.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the conductive nanostructures are single wall carbon nanotubes.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the conductive nanostructures are doped to provide a single wall carbon nanotube having a work function positioned between a highest occupied molecular orbital and a lowest occupied molecular orbital of the polymer matrix.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of dispersing the plurality of conductive nanostructures in a polymeric matrix comprises at least one of dielectrophoretic alignment, vacuum filtration, electrospun nanotube-polymer fibers, spray deposition of solublized nanotubes, or a combination thereof.