In situ growth of Ag nanoparticles on pristine graphene and their applications in conductive ink.

Graphene decorated with Ag nanoparticles can cross the defect and bridge the adjacent graphene sheets to enhance its conductivity, making the composite more suitable for conductive ink preparation rather than pure graphene. In this study, a facile one-pot method to prepare Ag NPs@graphene nanocomposite is proposed. Graphite is exfoliated by low-speed mechanical agitation and low-power ultrasonic to obtain pristine graphene, which has fewer structural defects and intrinsic defects than RGO. Then, Ag nanoparticles are in situ loaded on graphene with AgNO3 as the precursor, PVP as the dispersant, and glucose as the reducing agent, solving the negative effect of grain boundaries and overlap defects. Uniformly dispersed Ag nanoparticles are obtained anchored on or between the multi-layer graphene sheets. The average size of Ag nanoparticles is 56 nm. Finally, the prepared Ag NPs@graphene nanocomposite is used as conductive filler to prepare water-based conductive ink. At the optimal sintering temperature and time (150 °C for 20 min), the square resistance of the conductive patterns printed by screen printing is 21.6 mΩ sq−1, indicating that the conductive ink has great potential applications in printed electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]