MWCNT-coated cellulose nanopapers: Droplet-coating, process factors, and electrical conductivity performance.

Electrically conductive cellulose nanopapers (EC-CNPaps) were fabricated by the droplet-coating of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on cellulose nanopapers (CNPaps), and the effects of the process factors on the electrical conductivity of EC-CNPaps were investigated. The type of CNPaps (made of softwood nanofibrillated cellulose or bacterial cellulose nanofibres), the drying methods of CNPaps (air drying, freeze drying, and oven drying), the applied method for the stabilisation and the concentration of MWCNT-water solutions, and the droplet-coating temperatures (≈23 °C and ≈60 °C) were the examined variable factors. Overall, the oven-dried nanofibrillated cellulose paper as a substrate, 0.1 wt. % of the gum Arabic stabilised MWCNT-water solution ink, and the droplet coating at 60 °C were introduced as the optimum conditions of the examined process factors in this study.