Conductivity Of Films Research Articles

Optimizing dielectric and electrical properties of graphene oxide thin film with temperature tuning: Insights from impedance spectra analysis on insulator to semiconductor transition

The study focused on exploring the impact of annealing temperatures on dielectric and electrical, and conductivity properties of Graphene Oxide (GO) thin films. The investigation involved measuring impedance spectra across a temperature range spanning from room temperature (T=300 K) to high temperature (T=560 K). The findings revealed intriguing trends in the behavior of GO thin films under varying annealing temperatures. Firstly, it was observed that the dielectric constant of the GO thin film exhibited an upward trend with increasing temperature within the specified range. This indicates a temperature-dependent response in the dielectric properties of the material. Secondly, the electrical conductance of the film was found to be influenced by both frequency and annealing temperature. Specifically, the AC conductance showcased semiconductor behavior across a broad temperature spectrum, with a notable increase in conductance as the annealing temperature rose. This suggests a correlation between electrical properties and the annealing temperature of the GO thin film. Furthermore, the impedance analysis of the GO films revealed distinct relaxation processes at different temperatures, indicating varying dynamics within the material under thermal conditions. Additionally, the study highlighted a direct relationship between dielectric behavior and factors such as dielectric loss, polarization effects, and enhancements in the dielectric constant. These findings underscore the intricate interplay between thermal treatment, dielectric properties, and conductivity in GO thin films. Hence, the research elucidates the complex nature of GO thin films’ electrical, dielectric, and conductivity characteristics under annealing temperature variations, shedding light on potential applications and further avenues for exploration in this field.

Improved-quality graphene films via the synergism of large nanosheet aligning and nanotube bridging for flexible supercapacitors

Scalable production of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) films with high mechanical-electrical properties is desirable as these films are candidates for wearable electronics devices and energy storage applications. Removing structural incompleteness such as wrinkles or voids in the graphene films, which are generated from the assembly process, would greatly optimize their mechanical properties. However, the densely stacked graphene sheets in the films degrade their ionic kinetics and thus limit their development. Here, a horizontal-longitudinal-structure modulating strategy is demonstrated to produce enhanced mechanical, conductive, and capacitive graphene films. Typically, two-dimensional large graphene sheets (LGS) induce regular stacking of graphene oxide (GO) during the assembly process to reduce wrinkles, while one-dimensional single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) bridge with graphene sheets to strengthen the multidirectional intercalation and reduce GO layer restacking. The simultaneous incorporation of LGS and SWCNT synergistically creates a fine microstructure by improving the alignment of graphene sheets, increasing continuous conductive pathways to facilitate electron transport, and enlarging interlayer spacing to promote electrolyte ion diffusion. As a result, the obtained graphene films are flat and exhibit signally reinforced mechanical properties, electrical conductivity (38727 S m-1), as well as specific capacitance (232 F g-1) as supercapacitor electrodes compared to those of original rGO films. Moreover, owing to the comprehensive improved properties, a flexible gel supercapacitor assembled by the graphene film-based electrodes shows high energy density, good flexibility, and excellent cycling stability (93.8% capacitance retention after 10 000 cycles). This work provides a general strategy to manufacture robust graphene structural materials for energy storage applications in flexible and wearable electronics.

Ablation threshold, structural modification, and sensing of graphene oxide thin film induced by UV nanosecond laser

Reduction of graphene oxide by laser irradiation is crucial for developing conductive thin films. This study investigates the ablation threshold, reduction of graphene oxide, and high-precision patterning by UV nanosecond laser irradiation of graphene oxide films on flexible substrates. The ablation threshold of graphene oxide thin film was evaluated by examining the relationship between micropore diameters and laser pulse energy density. The single pulse ablation threshold was 2.29 J/cm², indicating that the UV nanosecond laser energy density is sufficient for the ablation of graphene oxide. Based on ablation threshold evaluation, graphene oxide was reduced by UV nanosecond laser irradiation, and laser-irradiated graphene oxide-based flexible thin film with four different line widths was fabricated. UV nanosecond laser irradiation graphene oxide-based grid structure patterns on the flexible substrates were fabricated by analyzing these different line widths. In addition, laser-irradiated graphene oxide-based grid structure flexible electrode were used to monitor human hand motion and finger press sensing. This study underscores the significance of laser irradiation of graphene oxide, a controllable strategy, and highlights the novelty and practical applications for fabricating flexible graphene oxide-based electronics.

Influence of SiO2 Nanoparticles Extracted from Biomass on the Properties of Electrodeposited Ni Matrix Composite Films on Si(100) Substrate.

Lab-made biosilica (SiO2) nanoparticles were obtained from waste biomass (rice husks) and used as eco-friendly fillers in the production of nickel matrix composite films via the co-electrodeposition technique. The produced biosilica nanoparticles were characterized using XRD, FTIR, and FE-SEM/EDS. Amorphous nano-sized biosilica particles with a high SiO2 content were obtained. Various current regimes of electrodeposition, such as direct current (DC), pulsating current (PC), and reversing current (RC) regimes, were applied for the fabrication of Ni and Ni/SiO2 films from a sulfamate electrolyte. Ni films electrodeposited with or without 1.0 wt.% biosilica nanoparticles in the electrolyte were characterized using FE-SEM/EDS (morphology/elemental analyses, roundness), AFM (roughness), Vickers microindentation (microhardness), and sheet resistance. Due to the incorporation of SiO2 nanoparticles, the Ni/SiO2 films were coarser than those obtained from the pure sulfamate electrolyte. The addition of SiO2 to the sulfamate electrolyte also caused an increase in the roughness and electrical conductivity of the Ni films. The surface roughness values of the Ni/SiO2 films were approximately 44.0%, 48.8%, and 68.3% larger than those obtained for the pure Ni films produced using the DC, PC, and RC regimes, respectively. The microhardness of the Ni and Ni/SiO2 films was assessed using the Chen-Gao (C-G) composite hardness model, and it was shown that the obtained Ni/SiO2 films had a higher hardness than the pure Ni films. Depending on the applied electrodeposition regime, the hardness of the Ni films increased from 29.1% for the Ni/SiO2 films obtained using the PC regime to 95.5% for those obtained using the RC regime, reaching the maximal value of 6.880 GPa for the Ni/SiO2 films produced using the RC regime.

Enhancing the electromagnetic interference shielding performance of composite paper with corrugated paper-like structure

The structural design of material significantly influences its electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance, providing an intelligent approach to attain desirable EMI shielding performances. Inspired by the ultra-large distance of the middle layer in corrugated paper, we proposed a novel composite paper with corrugated paper-like structure via the assembling of two pieces of surface-modified filter paper and an aerogel film. Specifically, a conventional filter paper was modified with the conductive hydrogel film consisting of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (TOCNF), cationic starch (CS) and Ti3C2Tx. The TOCNF and CS rapidly formed a composite hydrogel when mixed, due to their electrostatic interactions. The aforementioned aerogel film was produced through the freeze-drying of TOCNF/CS hydrogel, and it enlarged the distance between two conductive hydrogel film modified papers when inserted. The assembled composite papers demonstrated a maximum EMI SE of 71.0 dB, improved by 19.7 % as compared to the control without the aerogel film (59.3 dB). The expansion of the distance between conductive layers likely facilitated the enhancement in the multiple reflections and absorptions of electromagnetic waves. This novel composite paper showed better EMI shielding performance than many previously-reported materials considering the thickness and conductive filler dosage. In addition, the composite paper also showed exceptional infrared stealth capabilities since it effectively shielded the thermal radiation from human body. The composite paper still exhibited good infrared stealth ability at high temperature conditions (up to 120 ℃). Therefore, this research could inspire innovative concepts in designing high-performance and multifunctional EMI shielding materials in an economical way.

Field-Driven Solid-State Defect Control of Bilayer Switching Devices.

We develop a framework for controlling and investigating reversible ionic transfer between two solid metal oxides layers by examining field-driven changes in electrical properties of the thin film bilayer oxide system Pr0.1Ce0.9O2/La1.85Ce0.15CuO4 (PCO/LCCO). We show that we can reversibly redistribute oxygen ions by applied voltage in a highly controlled and reversible fashion near ambient temperatures over large oxygen ion activity limits, which, for the first time, is directly interpretable by defect chemical models. This allowed us to determine how defect concentrations in each layer systematically varied with voltage and the subsequent impact on each film's conductance. These results showcase the relevance and applicability of defect chemical models, traditionally considered only at elevated temperatures, to the development of bilayer devices of importance to neuromorphic memory applications. This allows for a more systematic approach for studying and understanding the solid-solid exchange process in electrochemically controlled microelectronic devices. Moreover, our work sets the foundation for the development of large-area field-driven defect-controlled bilayer switching devices with potential application to a broad array of functionally modulated devices.

Stretchable Anisotropic Conductive Film with Position‐Registered Conductive Microparticles Used for Strain‐Insensitive Ionic Interfacing in Stretchable Ionic Sensors

AbstractNumerous approaches are explored to achieve precise position registry of microparticles (MPs) with minimal defects; however, MP assembly in a periodic pattern or an arbitrary manner has been a challenging issue over the past several decades. Utilizing the position‐registered conductive MPs, polymer composites of the MPs are used as anisotropic conductive film (ACF) and soft interfacing. One of the remaining challenges is maintaining the MP positions while producing or utilizing the ACF. This study proposes a simple strategy to produce a stretchable ACF (S‐ACF) by mechanical rubbing, without disturbing the MP positions during the production and use. A practical means of precise MP positioning on a ultraviolet (UV)‐patternable soft template is investigated first. This study investigates, through both experiment and finite element method calculation, the relationship between local adhesion of the template and mechanical rubbing variables (pressure, rubbing velocity, and MP size). Based on this exploration, a fast and simple method to fabricate large‐area S‐ACF is presented. This study demonstrates that the S‐ACF can be used for electronic interfacing in stretchable devices and for ionic interfacing to remove the effect of external mechanical force in ionic sensors.

Optically transparent coplanar wideband antenna for vehicular communication

SummaryThe presented state of the art is a novel coplanar optically transparent antenna designed to operate in extended GSM, L‐band, and UWB applications for vehicular communication. The presented radiator operates using a coplanar waveguide feed mechanism without a separate ground plane layer with a minimal conductive surface to enhance the transparency of the proposed antenna. The proposed antenna design has dimensions of 40 × 20 mm2, and a transparent material of soda–lime glass is used as a substrate with a dielectric constant of 7. The radiating element over the substrate is the conductive film fluorine‐doped tin oxide (FTO) with a sheet resistance of 7 Ω/sq. The operating frequency range of the designed antenna is from 0.86 to 14.45 GHz, which encloses the E‐GSM (900 MHz), L‐band (1–2 GHz), and UWB (3.1–10.6 GHz) frequencies. The peak gains at the operating frequencies are 1, 1.6, and 4.34 dBi, respectively. The designed antenna is fabricated and measured, and the performance metrics are plotted and compared. Since the transparent antenna is designed, the tendency of a substance to conduct light is measured as the optical transmittance, and it is calculated as 95% in the glass reference and 82% in the air reference.

Fabrication and properties of conductive films based on bacterial cellulose and poly-N-isopropylacrylamide-modified graphene oxide

A conductive film (PNIPAM-rGO/BC) was fabricated combining bacterial cellulose (BC) with poly-N-isopropylacrylamide-modified graphene oxide (PNIPAM-GO) through vacuum filtration and steam reduction techniques. The conductivity and performance of PNIPAM-GO composite and the resulting conductive film were studied. The key findings revealed that PNIPAM-GO composite exhibited a reversible temperature-sensitive behavior. Specifically, the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) increased upon the introduction of graphene oxide (GO). Detailed analyses confirmed uniform dispersion of GO nanosheets within the BC matrix. The incorporation of 10.0 % PNIPAM-GO (containing 7.0 % GO) led to a remarkable 19.6 % increase in tensile strength and approximately 37.0 % enhancement in elongation at break for the conductive film (PNIPAM-rGO/BC) compared to BC. After steam reduction, the electrical conductivity of PNIPAM-rGO/BC exhibited significant improvement over BC. Furthermore, the conductive film demonstrated temperature-dependent conductivity, with a resistivity value approximately 5.2 ± 0.2 KΩ at 25 °C. As the test temperature above the LCST of PNIPAM-GO composite, the resistance decreased. These intriguing temperature-sensitive conductive properties position PNIPAM-rGO/BC as a promising material for smart switches.

Ultrasensitive, highly stretchable and multifunctional strain sensors based on scorpion-leg-inspired gradient crack arrays

Wearable flexible strain sensors based on conductive films have shown great application potential in many high-tech fields. They have high requirements for synergistic performances of sensitivity, flexibility, stability and durability. However, overcoming the trade-off between high sensitivity and high stretchability is still a great challenge in this research. Here we develop a facile strategy to prepare high-performance flexible strain sensors based on gradient crack arrays inspired by the gradient slits on scorpion legs. The gradient crack arrays with branched or hierarchical features controllably form in a periodic thickness-gradient metal film prepared by one-step masking technique on a flexible substrate. The cracks are progressively open from the thickest film region to the thinnest one under mechanical strain, behaving a unique sensing mechanism. As a result, the gradient crack-based strain sensors possess excellent comprehensive performances including high sensitivity (up to 21000), wide sensing range (∼70 %), low detection limit (0.02 %), quick response speed (below to 80 ms), excellent stability and durability (up to 15,000 cycles at 5 % strain). As demonstration of applications, the sensors are used to monitor various human activities and to express and encrypt information by bending bidirectionally. This work provides a novel way to fabricate highly sensitive, stretchable, robust, multifunctional, crack-based flexible strain sensors, which would greatly expand the applications in flexible electronics and wearable devices.

SnO2/Silver Nanowire/Polyimide Flexible Transparent Conductive Films for Double-Sided Perovskite Solar Cells and Heaters

SnO₂/Silver Nanowire/Polyimide Flexible Transparent Conductive Films for Double-Sided Perovskite Solar Cells and Heaters

Flexible Transparent Films of Oriented Silver Nanowires for a Stretchable Strain Sensor.

The potential applications of stretchable strain sensors in wearable electronics have garnered significant attention. However, developing susceptible stretchable strain sensors for practical applications still poses a considerable challenge. The present study introduces a stretchable strain sensor that utilizes silver nanowires (AgNWs) embedded into a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate. The AgNWs have high flexibility and electrical conductivity. A stretchable AgNW/Pat-PDMS conductive film was prepared by arranging nanowires on the surface of PDMS using a simple rod coating method. Depending on the orientation angle, the overlap area between nanowires varies, resulting in different levels of separation under a given strain. Due to the separation of the nanowire and the change in current path geometry, the variation in strain resistance of the sensor can be primarily attributed to these factors. Therefore, precision in strain regulation can be adjusted by altering the angle θ (0°, 60°, or 90°) of the nanowire. At the same time, the stability of the AgNW/Pattern-PDMS (AgNW/Pat-PDMS) conductive film application was verified by preparing a sandwich structure PDMS/AgNW/Pat-PDMS stretchable strain sensor. The sensor exhibited high sensitivity within the operating sensing range (gauge factor (GF) of 15 within ~120% strain), superior durability (20,000 bending cycles and 5000 stretching cycles), and excellent response toward bending.

Synthesis and improved optical, electrical, and dielectric properties of PEO/PVA/CuCo2O4 nanocomposites

This study investigates the development of novel nanocomposite films based on a blend of polyethylene oxide (PEO) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) loaded with varying weight percentages of copper cobaltite nanoparticles (CuCo2O4 NPs). The primary objective was to fabricate these nanocomposites using a solution casting technique and explore the influence of CuCo2O4 content on their structural, optical, electrical, and dielectric properties. Spinel-type CuCo2O4 NPs were synthesized via the hydrothermal method and incorporated into the PEO/PVA blend. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the transformation of the polymer matrix towards an amorphous state with increasing CuCo2O4 content. UV–Vis spectroscopy studies demonstrated a decrease in both the direct and indirect band gaps of the nanocomposites, suggesting potential applications in optoelectronic devices. Impedance spectroscopy measurements revealed a significant enhancement in ionic conductivity (three orders of magnitude higher than the pristine blend) for the nanocomposite film containing 1.8 wt% CuCo2O4. The real permittivity (ε′) and imaginary permittivity (ε″) of the polymer nanocomposites exhibited a decrease with increasing frequency due to the interplay of various polarization mechanisms. Notably, incorporating 1.8 wt% CuCo2O4 nanoparticles led to a remarkable improvement in energy density compared to the pristine blend. Additionally, a significant decrease in the potential barrier was observed. These findings demonstrate the successful fabrication of PEO/PVA-CuCo2O4 nanocomposite films with enhanced optical, electrical, and dielectric properties. The observed improvements suggest promising applications for these materials in energy storage devices and potentially in optoelectronic devices like light-emitting diodes.

Electrodeposition of Ni/Cu Bimetallic Conductive Metal-Organic Frameworks Electrocatalysts with Boosted Oxygen Reduction Activity for Zinc-Air Batteries.

Zinc-air batteries employing non-Pt cathodes hold significant promise for advancing cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, poor intrinsic electrical conductivity and aggregation tendency hinder the application of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as active ORR cathodes. Conductive MOFs possess various atomically dispersed metal centers and well-aligned inherent topologies, eliminating the additional carbonization processes for achieving high conductivity. Here, a novel room-temperature electrochemical cathodic electrodeposition method is introduced for fabricating uniform and continuous layered 2D bimetallic conductive MOF films cathodes without polymeric binders, employing the organic ligand 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexaiminotriphenylene (HITP) and varying the Ni/Cu ratio. The influence of metal centers on modulating the ORR performance is investigated by density functional theory (DFT), demonstrating the performance of bimetallic conductive MOFs can be effectively tuned by the unpaired 3d electrons and the Jahn-Teller effect in the doped Cu. The resulting bimetallic Ni2.1Cu0.9(HITP)2 exhibits superior ORR performance, boasting a high onset potential of 0.93V. Moreover, the assembled aqueous zinc-air battery demonstrates high specific capacity of 706.2mA h g-1, and exceptional long-term charge/discharge stability exceeding 1250 cycles.

Waste cotton textile-derived cellulose composite porous film with enhanced piezoelectric performance for energy harvesting and self-powered sensing

Integrating flexible piezoelectric nanogenerators (PENGs) into wearable and portable electronics offers promising prospects for motion monitoring. However, it remains a significant challenge to develop environmentally friendly PENGs using biodegradable and cost-effective natural polymers for mechanical energy harvesting and self-powered sensing. Herein, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and barium titanate (BTO) were introduced into regenerated cellulose pulp to fabricate a composite porous film-based PENG. The incorporation of rGO not only increased the electrical conductivity of the porous film but also enhanced the dispersibility of BTO. Moreover, the unique pore structure of the composite porous film improved the polarization effect of the air inside the pores, thereby greatly boosting the overall piezoelectric performance. The piezoelectric coefficient of the resulting composite porous film reaches up to 41.5 pC·N−1, which is comparable to or higher than those reported in similar studies. Consequently, the PENG assembled from this cellulose/rGO/BTO composite porous film (CGB-PENG) achieved an output voltage of 47 V, a current of 4.6 μA, and a power density of 30 μW·cm−2, approximately three times the output voltage and ten times the power density of similar studies. This work presents a feasible approach for the fabrication of high-performance cellulose-based PENGs derived from recycled waste cotton textiles.

Synthesis and Characterization of Polycarbonate/Polystyren/Polyethylene Oxide/Zinc Sulfide Nanocomposites: Gamma Ray Induced Changes in their Optical and Color Properties

Amorphous polycarbonate (PC), amorphous polystyrene (PS), semicrystalline polyethylene oxide (PEO) and zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanoparticles (NP) were used to fabricate PC/PS/PEO/ZnS nanocomposite (NC) films. We believe that this study is novel in the area of the effect of γ ray radiation on such NC. The synthesized ZnS NP had an average particle size of 18 nm, as indicated from the Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) scans. Samples of the PC/PS/PEO/ZnS NC films were irradiated with γ ray doses ranging from 20 to 180 kGy. UV-vis spectroscopy and the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) color changes technique were used to investigate the resulting effects of the γ ray irradiation on the optical and color properties of the prepared films. The light absorbance of the NC films increased as it was irradiated with the γ ray doses up to 180 kGy, the maximum dose used. The increase in absorbance was associated with a decrease in the direct bandgap from 5.88 to 4.92 eV, and an increase of Urbach energy from 0.43 to 0.81 eV. This was attributed to the dominance of chain crosslinks. The γ ray effects on the absorbance, extinction coefficient, refractive index and optical conductivity of the NC films were studied. The modifications in the optical properties indicated that the γ radiation is a useful tool that allows the application of the resulting PC/PS/PEO/ZnS NC films in optoelectronic devices. Furthermore, the color differences between the pristine and irradiated films were evaluated using the CIE color differences technique. The pristine film was uncolored but showed significant color changes when irradiated with γ radiation up to 180 kGy, the maximum dose used.

Ultrathin and highly flexible layered silver nanowires/carboxymethyl cellulose nanofiber nanocomposite films for electromagnetic interference shielding

Lightweight, flexible, efficient and easy-to-manufacture electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials are in urgent demand in the communications industry, artificial intelligence and wearable electronics. Based on the large size difference between one-dimensional carboxymethyl cellulose nanofibers (CMC) and large-diameter silver nanowires (AgNWs), layered AgNWs/CMC nanocomposite films with large effective thickness, and high conductivity were first prepared by a simple one-step vacuum filtration self-assembly technique. The unique layered structure of the AgNWs/CMC nanocomposite film significantly enhances the conductive pathways within the film, endowing it excellent EMI shielding performance. The results show that the conductivity of the ultra-thin film with a thickness of 20 μm is 3.72 × 106 S/m, and the EMI SE in the X-band is 87.7 dB, which can effectively shield electromagnetic signals in mobile communications. Furthermore, the AgNWs/CMCs nanocomposite films exhibit excellent thermal management performance, which can be heated to 100–180 °C within 10 s at a low voltage of 1.5 V. In particular, this nanocomposite film with a new layered structure provides a noval preparation idea for future EMI shielding materials and wearable heating devices.

Nanoscale Heat Transport of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Bundles for Thermal Management Applications.

Electronic devices continue to shrink in size while increasing in performance, making excess heat dissipation challenging. Traditional thermal interface materials (TIMs) such as thermal grease and pads face limitations in thermal conductivity and stability, particularly as devices scale down. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have emerged as promising candidates for TIMs because of their exceptional thermal conductivity and mechanical properties. However, the thermal conductivity of CNT films decreases when integrated into devices due to defects and bundling effects. This study employs a novel cross-sectional approach combining high-vacuum scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) with beam-exit cross-sectional polishing (BEXP) to investigate the nanoscale morphology and thermal properties of vertically aligned CNT bundles at low and room temperatures. Using appropriate thermal transport models, we extracted effective thermal conductivities of the vertically aligned nanotubes and obtained 4 W m-1 K-1 at 200 K and 37 W m-1 K-1 at 300 K. Additionally, non-negligible lateral thermal conductance between CNT bundles suggests more complex heat transfer mechanisms in these structures. These findings provide unique insights into nanoscale thermal transport in CNT bundles, which is crucial for optimizing novel thermal management strategies.

Enhancing the thermal conductivity of semiconductor thin films via phonon funneling

The second law of thermodynamics asserts that energy diffuses from hot to cold. The resulting temperature gradients drive the efficiencies and failures in a plethora of technologies. However, as the dimensionalities of materials shrink to the nanoscale regime, proper heat dissipation strategies become more challenging since the mean free paths of phonons become larger than the characteristic length scales. This leads to temperature gradients that are dependent on interfaces and boundaries, which ultimately can lead to severe thermal bottlenecks. Herein, we uncover a phenomenon which we refer to as ‘phonon funneling’, that allows the control of phonon transport to preferentially direct phonon energy away from geometrically confined interfacial thermal bottlenecks and into localized colder regions. This phenomenon supersedes heat diffusion based on the macroscale temperature gradients, thus introducing a nanoscale regime in which boundary scattering increases the phonon thermal conductivity of thin films, an opposite effect than what is traditionally realized. This work advances the fundamental understanding of phonon transport at the nanoscale and the role of efficient scattering methods for enhancing thermal transport.

Metal Acetylene Dicarboxylates as Catalyst for Printable Low Temperature Carbon Precursors

The synthesis of various metal acetylene dicarboxylates (MxADC, M = Cu, Ag, Fe, Co, Ni) via new methods are reported. The previously unknown crystal structures for Ag2ADC and FeADC are presented. The behaviour of the different metal dicarboxylates and their role as graphitization catalysts in a printable highly energetic carbon precursor is investigated in detail. Despite the copper compound has the lowest decomposition temperature of all studied acetylene dicarboxylates and is significantly enhancing the conductivity of carbon thin films obtained at low pyrolysis temperatures, the catalytic effect of cobalt and iron on graphitizing carbon results in a superior conductivity in carbon thin films pyrolyzed at lower temperatures down to 600°C. The newly designed precursors are demonstrated to produce micro‐supercapacitors with a 3D‐piezoelectric inkjet technique at low pyrolysis temperature.