The preparation of Ag nanoparticle and ink used for inkjet printing of paper based conductive patterns

Abstract

Ag nanoparticles were successfully prepared using a liquid reduction method with a suitable mixture reductant of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and ethylene glycol (EG). OP-10 as a dispersing agent, was used to prepare the conductive Ag ink. Ag nanoparticles with an average particle size of 40 nm were prepared while the ratio of PEG to EG was 1:2. Meanwhile, the Ag particles had a narrow size distribution and great dispersion performance. The effects of paper substrates, sintering temperature, and sintering time on the conductivity of the printed Ag ink pattern were also studied. It was found that Lucky porous high glossy photo paper was a good candidate as the printing substrate. The resistivity of the printed pattern could reach 5.1 × 10-3 Ω·cm after heated at 100 °C for 2 h. Hence, the printed pattern showed good conductivity which led to the LED light being on. Furthermore, the Ag nanoparticle ink could be printed to form any pattern as required that still showed good electrical conductivity after being sintered under low-temperature. This could provide new possibilities for the preparation of flexible electrodes.