Film processing characteristics of nano gold suitable for conductive application on flexible substrates

In spite of large number of studies and wide use of thiol encapsulated gold nanoparticles, the mechanism of their transformation to thin gold films for conductive applications is not as yet well understood. In order to understand and optimize the process of conversion of nanoparticle based ink for printing on plastic substrates, we synthesize and study thiolated Au nanoparticles, with average size of 2 nm, but with differing carbon chain length viz. butane (AuC4), hexane (AuC6) and octane (AuC8). The link between the properties of Au nanoparticle and its transformation from nonconductive gold nanoparticle ink to conductive gold film is studied using a variety of techniques such as thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and electrical conductivity measurements. A combined study of the shape of solution TGA and differential thermal analysis indicates occurrence of two distinct processes corresponding to disentanglement and debonding of thiol chains preceding the sintering of nanoparticles. The lowest sintering temperature is observed to be approximately 155 °C for chain length C4, and hence AuC4 on polyethylene terephthalate substrates is studied in detail. Though XRD peaks of thick drop-cast films on polyethylene terephthalate substrate show increasing peak intensity with annealing temperature as expected, for spin coated thin films, in contrast, the peak intensity decreases with increase in annealing temperature. Electrical conductivity of the thin films is comparable to bulk gold after conversion, but decreases with increase in annealing temperature demonstrating the usefulness of insights obtained in the study for optimization of annealing schedules.

► Sintering of alkanethiol capped Au nanoparticles is chainlength dependent.
► Sintering temperature depends on thiol debonding.
► Butanethiol capped Au nanoparticles are the most suitable for flexible substrates.
► Sintered films showed conductivity comparable to vacuum deposited films.