Silver Nanoparticles for Conductive Inks Functionalization on Paper Substrates

In this work, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) used in conductive inks were synthesized for implementation in printable and flexible electronics. The nanoparticles were obtained using silver nitrate as a precursor agent, sodium citrate as a reductive/protective agent and sodium borohydride as a reductive, whose concentrations were varied for optimization. The optical absorption, morphology, size-distribution, crystallinity and stability over time of the processed nanoparticles were determined upon the content of the chemical contents. The AgNPs-based inks were then tested as conductive wires drawn on different common flexible substrates to measure their electrical characteristics and demonstrate their relevance in printable electronics.