Highly Conductive Graphene and Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Thin Films Produced From Aqueous Suspension

Rapid, large-scale exfoliation of graphene in water has expanded its potential for use outside niche applications. This work focuses on utilizing aqueous graphene dispersions to form thin films using layer-by-layer processing, which is an effective method to produce large-area coatings from water-based solutions of polyelectrolytes. When layered with polyethyleneimine, graphene flakes stabilized with cholate are shown to be capable of producing films thinner than 100 nm. High surface coverage of graphene flakes results in electrical conductivity up to 5500 S m⁻¹. With the relative ease of processing, the safe, cost-effective nature of the ingredients, and the scalability of the deposition method, this system should be industrially attractive for producing thin conductive films for a variety of electronic and antistatic applications.