A water-based environmentally friendly electrically conducting ink composed of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and polyaniline (PANI) was prepared. PANI was synthesized by the emulsion polymerization approach using dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (DBSA) as the dopant to induce spherical nanoparticulate formation. Glycerol was used to adjust the viscosity of the ink. The CNC–PANI ink was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy and viscosity measurements. The ink was successfully printed on multilayer curtain coated paper by the flexographical printing method. The printed layers were characterized by optical and atomic force microscopy techniques and cyclic voltammetry. A stable nanoparticulate CNC–PANI ink with an electrical conductivity of the printed films between 30 and 60 S cm−1 was obtained which was more than an order of magnitude higher than for the corresponding film without CNC.
1 February 2020 in Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical
Electrically conductive composite nanofibers were fabricated using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT–PSS) and cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) via the electrospinning technique. Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) was used to assist the electrospinning process, and poly(ethylene glycol) diglycidyl ether was used to induce chemical cross-linking, enabling stability of the formed fibrous mats in water. The experimental parameters regarding the electrospinning polymer dispersion and electrospinning process were carefully studied to achieve a reproducible method to obtain bead-free nanofibrous mats with high stability after water contact, with an electrical conductivity of 13 ± 5 S m–1, thus making them suitable for bioelectrochemical applications. The morphology of the electrospun nanofibers was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, and the C/S ratio was determined with energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Cyclic voltammetric studies showed that the PEDOT–PSS/CNF/PEO composite fibers exhibited high electroactivity and high stability in water for at least two months. By infrared spectroscopy, the slightly modified fiber morphology after water contact was demonstrated to be due to dissolution of some part of the PEO in the fiber structure. The biocompatibility of the PEDOT–PSS/CNF/PEO composite fibers when used as an electroconductive substrate to immobilize microalgae and cyanobacteria in a photosynthetic bioelectrochemical cell was also demonstrated.