Full Solution-Processed Fabrication of Conductive Hybrid Paper Electrodes for Organic Optoelectronics

There is growing interest in the development of green electronics fabricated from natural materials, which could lead to renewable, sustainable, and potentially inexpensive organic optoelectronics. In this paper, a novel, facile, and full-solution processed approach has been successfully demonstrated to fabricate a highly flexible and conductive paper electrode by electroless deposition with dopamine molecules as an adhesion layer on newly hybrid paper. The novel paper substrate was prepared through a simple hot-press process with commercial paper and polypropylene (PP) film. It has a smooth surface and improved mechanical properties. Importantly, it is flexible and highly resistant to water, which are important for solution processes. The obtained highly conductive paper exhibited a smooth and hydrophobic surface with high reflection. In addition, these conductive papers also showed excellent mechanical flexibility and stability, indicating the strong adhesion between the metal and hybrid paper, which facilitates the roll-to-roll process of the device. As a possible application, this paper electrode can be effectively used as a mechanical support and an electrode in an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), showing potential possibilities in future electronics.