Electrically conductive silver/polyimide fabric composites fabricated by spray-assisted electroless plating

High-performance fabrics with excellent electrical conductivity are increasingly attractive in modern industries. In this study, we report an electrically conducive silver/polyimide fabric (Ag/PIF) composite fabricated by combining an O-2 plasma pretreatment and a spray-assisted electroless plating (SAELP) technique. O-2 plasma treatment is firstly employed to roughen the surface of PIF and introduce functional aldehyde or ketone groups, which can act as a reducing agent and facilitate an even nucleation initiation of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on the surface of the PIF. A silver ion solution and a reducing agent are then mixed evenly and sprayed to the PIF immediately to obtain Ag/PIF composites. The effects of O-2 plasma treatment and SAELP duration on the Ag/PIF composites are investigated and discussed. The results demonstrate that the silver layer is coated on the PIF uniformly and densely with a surface resistance of 0.1 Omega/sq. The first decomposition temperature of the Ag/PIF composites is up to 600 degrees C, indicating excellent thermal stability. The enhanced adhesion between Ag NPs and PIF endows the composites excellent fastness and superior flexibility. This work gives a new strategy for fabricating flexible, electrically conducive functional metal coated fabrics with high-performance properties in an efficient, facile and scalable way.