Electrically conductive gels of single wall carbon nanotubes and PEDOT:PSS*

The development of lightweight, flexible, and electrically conductive carbon aerogels has important technological applications. Their high surface area to volume ratio and electrical conductivity make them suitable for energy storage and chemical sensing. Here, we report on preparation and characterization of highly porous (void volume ~0.9) gels with a range of shapes and sizes and composed of co-networks of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and the conducting polymer poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)–poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), at ratios ranging from 1:5 to 1:9 using concentration dependent sol-gel method. We validated the porous, filamentous microstructure of these gels by imaging their cross-sections using scanning electron microscopy. The aerogels exhibited good electrical conductivity of ~100 S/cm, determined from four-point I-V measurements. We will also present how to enhance the electrical conductivity of the co-gels by the addition of dopants and to fabricate mechanically robust, highly electrically conducting fibers.