Micropatterning of conducting polymer tracks on plasma treated flexible substrate using vapor phase polymerization-mediated inkjet printing

A facile strategy to pattern a conducting polymer on various flexible substrates is reported using vapor phase polymerization-mediated inkjet printing. Complex polypyrrole patterns were obtained via oxidation polymerization of vaporized monomer on the inkjet-printed oxidant patterns. The patterned lines are readily controlled by inkjet printing with the high resolution of micrometer scale. FT-IR attenuated total reflection analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were conducted in order to confirm the polymerization of pyrrole monomer. This process provided highly conductive polymer patterns of polypyrrole with the sheet resistance of 2.8 × 103 Ω/□, the minimum line width of ca. 60 μm and the film thickness of ca. 450 nm. Furthermore, metallic copper pattern was prepared on previously patterned polypyrrole architectures by electroless plating as a practical application.