Polydimethylsiloxane-Assisted Catalytic Printing for Highly Conductive, Adhesive, and Precise Metal Patterns Enabled on Paper and Textiles

Paper and textile are two ideal carriers in wearable and printed electronics because of their flexibility and low price. However, the porous and fibrous structures restrain their use in printed electronics because the capillary effect results in ink diffusion. Especially, conventional metal ink needs to be post-treated at high temperatures (>150 degrees C), which is not compatible with paper and textile. To address problems involved in ink diffusion and avoid high-temperature treatment, herein, a new strategy is proposed: screen-printing of high-viscosity catalytic inks combined with electroless deposition of metal layers on paper and textile substrates. The ink consists of Ag nanoparticles, a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) prepolymer, and a curing agent. PDMS as a viscoelastic matrix of catalysts plays key roles in limiting ink diffusion, enhancing interfacial adhesion between the substrate and metal layer, keeping metal flexible. As a demonstration, metal Cu and Ni are printed, respectively. The printed precision (diffusion < 1% on filter paper) can be controlled by adjusting the Ag content in the PDMS matrix; interfacial adhesion can be enhanced by ink coating on substrate microfibers and metal embedding into the PDMS matrix. In addition, Cu on paper shows extremely low sheet resistance (0.29 m Omega/square), and Cu on nylon shows outstanding foldability with a resistance of less than five times of initial resistance during 5000 folding cycles.

Automated summary

A new strategy is proposed in this study to address the issues of ink diffusion and high-temperature treatment by screen-printing high-viscosity catalytic inks and electroless deposition of metal layers on paper and textile substrates. The use of Ag nanoparticles and PDMS inks allows for precise printing of Cu and Ni on paper and textile, with improved interfacial adhesion and flexibility. The printed Cu shows low sheet resistance on paper and outstanding foldability on nylon, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed approach.