Abstract
Printing is a method of additive manufacturing that can reduce material costs and environmental contamination during the fabrication process. Ag ink is commonly used in printed electronics, such as interconnects, inductors, and antennas. However, the high cost of noble Ag restricts its massive applications. To reduce the cost of the state-of-the-art Ag ink and realize large-scale manufacturing, we develop a molecule-bridged graphene/Ag (MB-G/A) composite to produce highly conductive and cost-effective paper-based electronics. Graphene can be used to substitute part of Ag nanoparticles to reduce costs, form a conducive percolation network, and retain a reasonable level of conductivity. We adopt cysteamine as a molecular linker, because it anchors on the surface of graphene via the diazonium reaction. Additionally, the thiol functional group on the other end of cysteamine can bond to a Ag atom, forming a molecular bridge between graphene and Ag and promoting electron transport between Ag and graphene. As a result, the maximum conductivity of MB-G/A inks can reach 2.0 × 105 S m−1, enabling their successful application in various printable electronics. In addition, the optimum MB-G/A ink costs less than half as much as pure Ag inks, showing the great potential of MB-G/A ink in commercial electronic devices.
摘要
印刷作为一种增材制备技术可以降低制备过程中的材料成本并 减少对环境的污染. 银导电浆料常用于各种电子印刷器件, 如互联网、 电感、天线等领域. 然而贵金属银的高成本限制了其大规模应用. 为了 降低目前银导电浆料的成本, 本文提出了一种分子桥连的石墨烯/银 (MB-G/A)导电浆料, 并应用于高导电性、低成本的纸基电子器件. 石 墨烯可以取代部分银纳米颗粒, 降低成本的同时形成合适的导电网络, 从而保证了良好的导电性能. 采用巯基乙胺作为分子桥连剂, 其一端通 过叠氮反应锚定在石墨烯表面, 另一端通过巯基官能团与银原子成键, 实现石墨烯和银之间分子尺度的桥连, 从而促进石墨烯/银界面的电荷 传输. 结果表明所制备的MB-G/A导电浆料的最大电导率可达2.0 × 105 S m−1, 且可成功应用于各种电子器件中. 此外, 最优的MB-G/A导 电浆料的成本与纯银导电浆料相比减少了至少一半. 该MB-G/A导电浆 料在商业化电子器件领域具有良好的应用前景.
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Acknowledgements
This work was financially supported by Hong Kong Scholars Program (XJ2019025), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (CD42), and Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission (JCYJ20180507183424383).
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Li W performed most of the experiments and wrote the original manuscript. Yan J participated in some experiments. Wang C conducted the simulations. Zhang N and Choy TH conducted some investigations. Liu S and Zhao L offered some methodology. Tao X reviewed and edited the manuscript. Chai Y planned and supervised the research.
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Weixin Li received her bachelor degree from Wuhan University of Technology in 2011. She earned her PhD degree from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 2016. She is now an associate professor at Wuhan University of Science and Technology. Her research interests include the design and synthesis of advanced energy conversion systems, such as water splitting devices and solar cells.
Yang Chai is an assistant dean of the Faculty of Applied Science and Textile of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, vice president of Physical Society of Hong Kong, a member of The Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences, an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer since 2016, and was the chair of IEEE ED/SSC Hong Kong Chapter (2017–2019). His current research interest mainly focuses on emerging electronic devices.
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Li, W., Yan, J., Wang, C. et al. Molecule bridged graphene/Ag for highly conductive ink. Sci. China Mater. 65, 2771–2778 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-022-2064-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-022-2064-8