Recent advancements in transparent carbon nanotube films: chemistry and imminent challenges

Carbon nanotube (CNT)-doped transparent conductive films (TCFs) is an encouraging option toward generally utilized indium tin oxide-depended TCFs for prospective stretchable optoelectronic materials. Industrial specifications of TCFs involve not just with high electrical performance and transparency but also amidst environmental resistance and mechanical characteristic; those are usually excused within the research background. Though the optoelectronic properties of these sheets require to be developed to match the necessities of various strategies. While, the electrical stability of single-walled CNT TCFs is essentially circumscribed through the inherent resistivity of single SWCNTs and their coupling confrontation in systems. The main encouraging implementations, CNT-doped TCFs, is a substitute system during approaching electronics to succeed established TCFs, that utilize indium tin oxide. Here we review, a thorough summary of CNT-based TCFs including an overview, properties, history, synthesis protocol covering patterning of the films, properties and implementation. There is the attention given on the optoelectronic features of films and doping effect including applications for sophisticated purposes. Concluding notes are given to recommend a prospective investigation into this field towards real-world applicability. Graphic abstract: This graphical abstract shows the overview of different properties (mechanical, electrical, sensitivity and transportation), synthesis protocols and designing (dry and wet protocol, designing by surface cohesive inkjet-printed and the support of polymers), doping effect (general doping, metal halides, conductive polymers and graphene for transparent electrodes) and implementations (sensing panels, organic light-emitting diodes devices, thin-film transistors and bio-organic interface) of carbon nanotubes transparent conductive films.