Highly flexible, stretchable, patternable, transparent copper fiber heater on a complex 3D surface
Source abstract
Abstract
A highly transparent, flexible, stretchable and patternable copper fiber heater was successfully fabricated for potential use in smart windows and other applications. The thickness of the electrospun polymer nanofibers was controlled during subsequent copper plating by adjusting the electroplating time, with minimal sacrifice in transparency. Self-fused junctions, formed via electroplating, significantly reduced the contact resistance between the intersecting copper-plated fibers. The heater temperature remained constant up to 300% sheet stretching. De-icing tests confirmed the potential applicability of such heaters in smart windows or vehicle defrosters. The copper-plated fibers may be transferred onto any surface with a complex 3D structure, as demonstrated by fabricating a heat-radiating Venus statue covered with the copper-plated fibers. The highest temperature of 328 °C was achieved by using a transparent fibrous film having 90% transparency and 0.058 Ω sq−1 sheet resistance. Stretchable polymer fibres can be turned into transparent heating films capable of reaching 300 °C using electroplated copper nanofibers. Icy conditions make it tricky to operate devices for which transparency is critical, such as solar cells and vehicle windscreens. A team led by Prof. Sam Yoon from Korea University and Prof. Alexander Yarin from University of Illinois has developed a route towards ‘smart windows’ with built-in, low-cost copper heaters. Their procedure uses electrospinning to produce a woven web of nanofibres. A platinum-catalyzed process then coats the polymer threads with copper layers. These layers are thin enough to be optically transparent but sufficiently conductive to act as heating elements, thanks to self-fused junctions that connect the network. The team demonstrated that this flexible heater can be patterned into complex three-dimensional shapes by constructing a heat-radiating ‘Venus de Milo’ statue. The complex three-dimensional surface, such as a ‘Venus de Milo’ statue is radiating heat by Joule-heating due to the highly flexible and stretchable copper fibers. The highest temperature can reach up to 328 °C due to self-fused junctions at the copper fiber network.
Source: openalex_inverted_index · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials · Nanomaterials and Printing Technologies · Electrospun Nanofibers in Biomedical Applications
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
References (41)
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