Flexible electroluminescent fiber fabricated from coaxially wound carbon nanotube sheets

A fiber-shaped polymer light-emitting electrochemical cell (PLEC) was developed by sandwiching an electroluminescent polymer layer between two aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) sheet electrodes. Similar to a conventional planar PLEC, the electroluminescent polymer layer and two carbon nanotube electrodes are closely and stably contacted, so that the injected charges can be rapidly and efficiently transported. Due to their one-dimensional structure, the fiber-shaped PLEC demonstrates unique and promising advantages, e.g., the luminance is almost independent on the observation angle. In addition, the fiber-shaped PLEC is thin, lightweight and flexible, which bespeaks a promising future for various electronic textiles.