Polymer Coatings Containing ITO Nanoparticles: Effective Factors on Conductivity and Optical Properties

Polymers usually have high resistance to electricity flow. Electrical conductivity of polymers could be changed utilizing fillers. One of these fillers, indium tin oxide (ITO), has many different applications in various fields due to its relatively low electrical resistance and its ability to impart transparency and clear coatings. Electrically conductive transparent coatings containing ITO nanoparticles can be prepared via sol-gel technique (low temperature) and cured by UV irradiation and/or by post curing at low temperature and reduction under a passage of gas (such as N2) on polymeric substrates. Fluence of UV irradiation is an effective parameter on surface morphology of polymeric samples. Photo-degradation of coatings may occur at high irradiation fluence due to the photons leaked from polymeric substrates surface. The difference in surface topography (surface roughness) of polymeric substrates results in samples with different electrical resistance. A polymeric substrate with the lowest surface roughness shows the highest electrical conductivity.