An easily accessible carbon material derived from carbonization of polyacrylonitrile ultrathin films: ambipolar transport properties and application in a CMOS-like inverter

Chem Commun (Camb). 2014 Mar 4;50(18):2374-6. doi: 10.1039/c3cc49448a. Epub 2014 Jan 22.

Abstract

Ultrathin carbon films were prepared by carbonization of a solution processed polyacrylonitrile (PAN) film in a moderate temperature range (500-700 °C). The films displayed balanced hole (0.50 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1)) and electron mobilities (0.20 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1)) under ambient conditions. Spectral characterization revealed that the electrical transport is due to the formation of sp(2) hybridized carbon during the carbonization process. A CMOS-like inverter demonstrated the potential application of this material in the area of carbon electronics, considering its processability and low-cost.