Fabrication of electrically conductive substrates using copper nanoparticles-deposited carbon black

Abstract

Carbon black particles surrounded by copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) were synthesized using electroless plating method. Palladium chloride was adsorbed onto carbon black, followed by the reduction of palladium chloride for catalyzing the reduction of Cu ions on the surface of carbon black particles. After that, carbon black particles doped by palladium catalyst were dispersed and stirred in Cu plating bath. Cu ions being reduced, Cu NPs surrounded the surface of carbon black particles (Cu@CB). The ratios of Cu to carbon black were controlled through variation of weight of Cu ions in Cu plating bath from 1:1 to 1:7. Cu@CB was applied to electrically conductive substrates with ethyl cellulose binder. Electrical properties and morphology were measured and compared with different weight ratio of Cu and carbon black. It was found that when weight ratio of Cu to carbon black was above three, resistivity of conductive substrates fabricated decreased dramatically. Lowest resistivity was 5.93 × 10−4 Ωcm, confirming the advantages of Cu@CB which has possibility of lowering weight percentage of metal in conductive substrates through simple process.