Solution-Processed and Transparent Graphene Oxide/TiOx Gas Barrier via an Interfacial Photocatalytic Reduction

Abstract

A cost-effective, flexible, and transparent gas barrier has been a main pursuit of research into plastics electronics. However, it is difficult to realize a high-performance gas barrier on a plastic substrate via a solution process at low temperature. Here, by introducing an interfacial photocatalytic reduction between TiOx and graphene oxide (GO) films, a solution-processed and transparent gas barrier film is demonstrated using reduced GO (rGO)/TiOx. A dramatic photochemical reduction of GO occurs at the interface between TiOx and the GO film under ultraviolet irradiation, which allows the fabrication of dense and uniform gas barrier films via a solution process at temperatures below 100 °C. In addition, the closely packed structure in the rGO film results in a decreased water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of 0.37 g m−2 day−1 even with a thin rGO (<13 nm)/TiOx (7 nm) film, leading to a high transmittance of over 80% in the visible range. © 2020 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim