Controlling the Structures, Flexibility, Conductivity Stability of Three-Dimensional Conductive Networks of Silver Nanoparticles/Carbon-Based Nanomaterials with Nanodispersion and their Application in Wearable Electronic Sensors

Chih-Wei Chiu; Jia-Wun Li; Chen-Yang Huang; Shun-Siang Yang; Yu-Chian Soong; Chih-Lung Lin; Jimmy Chi-Min Lee; William Anderson Lee Sanchez; Chih-Chia Cheng; Maw-Cherng Suen

doi:10.3390/nano10051009

Controlling the Structures, Flexibility, Conductivity Stability of Three-Dimensional Conductive Networks of Silver Nanoparticles/Carbon-Based Nanomaterials with Nanodispersion and their Application in Wearable Electronic Sensors

Nanomaterials (Basel). 2020 May 25;10(5):1009. doi: 10.3390/nano10051009.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 10607, Taiwan.
² Graduate Institute of Applied Science and Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 10607, Taiwan.
³ Department of Fashion Business Administration, LEE-MING Institute of Technology, New Taipei City 24305, Taiwan.

Abstract

This research has successfully synthesized highly flexible and conductive nanohybrid electrode films. Nanodispersion and stabilization of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were achieved via non-covalent adsorption and with an organic polymeric dispersant and inorganic carbon-based nanomaterials-nano-carbon black (CB), carbon nanotubes (CNT), and graphene oxide (GO). The new polymeric dispersant-polyisobutylene-b-poly(oxyethylene)-b-polyisobutylene (PIB-POE-PIB) triblock copolymer-could stabilize AgNPs. Simultaneously, this stabilization was conducted through the addition of mixed organic/inorganic dispersants based on zero- (0D), one- (1D), and two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials, namely CB, CNT, and GO. Furthermore, the dispersion solution was evenly coated/mixed onto polymeric substrates, and the products were heated. As a result, highly conductive thin-film materials (with a surface electrical resistance of approximately 10^-2 Ω/sq) were eventually acquired. The results indicated that 2D carbon-based nanomaterials (GO) could stabilize AgNPs more effectively during their reductNion and, hence, generate particles with the smallest sizes, as the COO^- functional groups of GO are evenly distributed. The optimal AgNPs/PIB-POE-PIB/GO ratio was 20:20:1. Furthermore, the flexible electrode layers were successfully manufactured and applied in wearable electronic sensors to generate electrocardiograms (ECGs). ECGs were, thereafter, successfully obtained.

Keywords: carbon-based nanomaterials; dispersant; electrical conductivity; electrocardiogram; nanohybrid film; silver nanoparticles.