3D‐printed intrinsically stretchable room‐temperature‐curable electrodes

• Published in: Journal of polymer science (2020) Vol. 62; no. 21; pp. 4870 - 4878
• Main Authors: Li, Xiaohong, Chen, Guoliang, Fei, Zekai, Ou, Xingcheng, Li, Ziqian, Guo, Shuang‐Zhuang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01-11-2024; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: 3D printing; conductive composite elastomer; Electrical resistivity; Electrode materials; Electrodes; flexible stretchable strain sensor; Manufacturing; organic electrochemical transistor; Phase separation; Room temperature; room‐temperature vulcanized silicone rubber; Silicone rubber; Silicones; Stretchability; Three dimensional composites; Three dimensional printing; Wrist
• ISSN: 2642-4150; 2642-4169
• DOI: 10.1002/pol.20240090

3D printing technology has driven the development of flexible and stretchable electronic devices. In this field, silver‐based silicone rubber composites have emerged as promising materials due to their commendable conductivity, stretchability, and printability. However, the manufacturing of stretchable silver electrode materials at room temperature faced significant challenges, including intricate ink preparation methods, phase separation requiring high‐temperature annealing, and subpar conductivity. To address these issues, SP‐RTV ink was developed by mechanically blending room‐temperature vulcanized silicone rubber (RTV) with commercial conductive silver paste (SP). Subsequently, the 3D‐printed SP‐RTV electrodes were both stretchable and curable at room temperature, demonstrating excellent conductivity across various substrates. By optimizing the ink ratio, we achieved outstanding electrical conductivity of 5.17 × 105 S/m for the SP‐RTV electrode comprising 90 wt% silver paste. Moreover, the SP‐RTV electrodes containing 70 wt% silver paste exhibited excellent stretchability of 110% along with a gauge factor of 14.87, making them suitable for detecting finger and wrist movements. Additionally, the 80 wt% SP‐RTV maintained stable relative resistance changes during stretching, positioning it aptly for intrinsic stretchable organic electrochemical transistor applications. Overall, this study offers valuable insights into the room‐temperature manufacturing of flexible electrodes, paving the way for advancements in this burgeoning field.