Dispersion stability of 1-octanethiol coated Cu nanoparticles in a 1-octanol solvent for the application of nanoink

Conductive ink with Copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) has various advantages compared with conventional ink, such as good electrical conductivity and low cost. However, it suffers through easily oxidization problem, leading to an unstable electrical conductivity, which decreases over time. Therefore, it is important to prevent (or least minimize) oxidation of the Cu NPs. In this study, Cu NPs with diameter of 50 nm were coated with 1-octanethiol (CH3(CH2)7SH) in a high-vacuum condition (5.33 × 10−4 Pa). The coating conditions were systematically varied to investigate the effect on the coating thicknesses. Coated Cu NPs were dispersed in 1-octanol to form the conductive ink, and the dispersion behavior was studied as a function of the thickness of the 1-octanethiol coating. The thickness of the coating layer was characterized using transmission electron microscopy and X-ray spectroscopy analysis, and was found to be 3 nm, 6 nm, and 10 nm. The dispersion stability of the inks was characterized by Turbiscan dispersion stability and viscosity measurements, and it was found that the copper nanoink formed using Cu NPs with a 6-nm-thick coating exhibited the most stable dispersion properties.