Annealed graphene sheets decorated with silver nanoparticles for inkjet printing

• Annealed graphene nanosheets coupled with Ag organic complex ink is prepared.
• The microstructural changes of graphene nanosheets after annealing are confirmed.
• The resistivity of 4.62 × 10−4 Ω m of the track is achieved upon 15 printing times.
• The flexibility of the track on polyimide (PI) is measured.

We report the preparation of annealed graphene nanosheets coupled with Ag organic complex inks by the approach of polymer stabilization and sonication, and the potential application of inkjet printing. The as-purchased graphene nanosheets were annealed as the main printing component which significantly increased the electrical conductivity of the inkjet printed track due to the highly reconstructed and nearly defect-free in-plane structures. Ag nanopaticles (NPs) were uniformly distributed on graphene nanosheets after post annealing process, which acted as superiorly conductive bridge to further decrease the contact resistance of graphene flakes and the resistivity of the inkjet printed track. The resistivity of 4.62 × 10−4 Ω m (conductivity of 2.16 × 103 S/m) upon 15 printing times were achieved. The interwoven structured graphene nanosheets with Ag NPs formed a three-dimensional conductive network film with good mechanical robustness. The experimental results demonstrated the strategy of combining graphene nanosheets and nano-sized metal particles, which holds a possible pathway for the future application of flexible and maybe bendable inkjet printed electronic devices.

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