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Updated: Jun 3, 2026
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A Fabrication Method for Highly Stretchable Conductors with Silver Nanowires
Published on: January 21, 2016
Electrically conductive polymeric materials with high stretchability and excellent elasticity by a surface coating
Yongjin Li1, Liping Zhao, Hiroshi Shimizu
1Nanosystem Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba Central 5, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565, Japan. yongjin-li@aist.go.jp
Macromolecular Rapid Communications
|March 25, 2011
Summary
New conductive polymer films combine high stretchability and conductivity using aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) within a polymer matrix. These advanced materials maintain electrical performance even under significant strain.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Developing stretchable and conductive materials is crucial for flexible electronics and wearable devices.
- Existing conductive films often compromise elasticity or conductivity under strain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate highly stretchable and conductive polymer films.
- To investigate the structure-property relationships of conductive nanocomposites for enhanced performance.
Main Methods:
- Coating a poly[styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene] (SEBS)/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) nanocomposite onto an SEBS film via spin coating.
- Utilizing high-shear processing for the conductive layer.
- Analyzing MWCNT alignment and interfacial adhesion.
Main Results:
- Achieved simple fabrication of conductive polymer films with excellent stretchability and elasticity.
- MWCNTs aligned parallel to the base film, ensuring good interfacial adhesion.
- Films exhibited high electrical conductivity and retained it exceptionally well after high strain application.
Conclusions:
- The SEBS/MWCNT nanocomposite coating effectively imparts conductivity to elastomer films.
- Aligned MWCNTs are key to achieving high conductivity and strain-resilient electrical properties.
- This fabrication method offers a promising route for advanced flexible electronic materials.
