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

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.