AgNPs@CNTs/Ag hybrid films on thiolated PET substrate for flexible electronics

摘要

As the baseplate and hinge of various components for the transmission of circuit signals, the flexible printed circuit (FPC) has become a vital component of flexible electronics. However, the bonding strength of the substrate/film which affects the practical application is usually weak, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), an ideal reinforcement for enhancing metal-based films, show subdued performance for the interfacial wettability problem. Hereon, we presented a method for simultaneously modifying a flexible PET substrate and CNT by the same TES molecules. Consequently, adhesive strength of substrate/film was enhanced effectively to 12 N/cm and the interfacial wettability of CNTs and Ag matrix was improved in the form of coating Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) on thiol-grafted CNTs to change the interface from "CNTs-Ag matrix" type to "AgNPs-Ag matrix" type, distinctly reducing the sheet resistance of hybrid films by 64.5% compared to pristine CNTs/Ag hybrid films and 90.9% to silver films, which mattered of great significance for hybrid films. What's more, based on flexible AgNPs@CNTs/Ag hybrid films, multiple electronic components were integrated and perfectly worked, illustrating the practicability of AgNPs@CNTs/Ag hybrid films for flexible electronics.