Orateur
Description
Nanocomposites with controllable functional properties are increasingly being investigated for soft electronics, where precise control over electrical behavior is essential. In particular, polymeric thin films doped with metallic nanoparticles are attractive for a wide range of applications, as they combine softness, biocompatibility, and tunable electrical properties that can be adjusted through well-controlled fabrication processes. In this context, PEI/PAA layer-by-layer thin films are of particular interest due to their self-healing ability, and their electrical properties can be effectively modified through the incorporation of metallic nanoparticles while preserving their structural and mechanical characteristics. Surfactant-free silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) that are physically synthesized are employed to isolate NP-polymer interactions without ligand effects.
Conventionally, nanoparticle deposition is monitored by current measurements during deposition, which only allow detection once the percolation threshold is reached. As an alternative approach, in-situ impedance spectroscopy is employed here as a sensitive characterization technique to monitor nanoparticle deposition and to control the amount of material deposited on the substrate. Unlike current-based measurements, this method enables monitoring from the earliest stages of deposition, both before and after the percolation threshold [1].
In this study, AgNPs are produced in the gas phase, guided by electrostatic lenses through vacuum chambers, and then deposited onto polymer-coated interdigitated electrodes. While size and composition of the nanoparticles can be well controlled, achieving reliable and reproducible control over particle density and spatial distribution remains a challenge.
This investigation focuses on the influence of nanoparticle incorporation on the electrical response of the polymer film, especially concerning density and spatial dispersion. In-situ impedance spectroscopy is employed to monitor the deposition process in real time, while post-deposition electrical transport measurements are performed to assess how deposition conditions affect the functional properties of the films. Optical characterization of the plasmonic response is also carried out after deposition, providing a sensitive probe of nanoparticle interactions with the surrounding environment and with neighboring nanoparticles. Together, these characterization approaches enable a systematic exploration of nanoparticle-polymer nanocomposites, aiming to improve deposition control and better understand how nanoparticle–polymer interactions influence the electrical properties.
[1] Hensel, Rafael C., et al. Applied Surface Science 544 (2021): 148806.
| Do you submit an abstract for a talk or a poster? | talk |
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| If your abstract isn’t selected for a plenary talk, would you like to present it as a poster? | Yes |