Silver nanoparticle compositions
View Patent ↗A silver nanoparticle composition is formed by the process comprising: providing a solution of silver-containing nanoparticles and an initial stabilizer on the surface of the silver-containing nanoparticles; and mixing the solution with a carboxylic acid so as to replace at least a portion of the initial stabilizer with the carboxylic acid, resulting in a composition comprising the silver-containing nanoparticles and the carboxylic acid on the surface of the silver-containing nanoparticles. Methods of using the silver nanoparticle composition and devices comprising the silver nanoparticle composition are also disclosed.
1. A silver nanoparticle composition formed by the process comprising:
providing a solution of silver-containing nanoparticles with an initial stabilizer on the surface of the silver-containing nanoparticles; and
mixing the solution with a carboxylic acid so as to replace at least a portion of the initial stabilizer with the carboxylic acid, resulting in a composition comprising silver-containing nanoparticles having both the initial stabilizer and the carboxylic acid on the surface of the silver-containing nanoparticles, the carboxylic acid having at least 12 carbon atoms.
2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of carboxylic acid to silver in the solution is from about 0.01 to about 1.
3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of carboxylic acid to silver in the solution is from about 0.05 to about 0.5.
4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the initial stabilizer comprises an organoamine.
5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the initial stabilizer comprises an organoamine having from about 6 to about 18 carbon atoms.
6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the silver-containing nanoparticles have an average diameter of from about 1 nanometer to about 1000 nanometers.
7. A process for making an electronic device, comprising:
depositing a composition upon a substrate, the composition comprising silver-containing nanoparticles with a carboxylic acid stabilizer and an organoamine stabilizer on the surface of the silver-containing nanoparticles, the carboxylic acid stabilizer having at least 12 carbon atoms, resulting in a deposited composition; and
heating the deposited composition to form an electrically conductive layer comprising silver.
8. The process of claim 7 , wherein the heating is performed at a temperature of from about 100° C. to about 300° C.
9. The process of claim 7 , wherein the heating is performed at a temperature of from about 150° C. to about 200° C.
10. The process of claim 7 , wherein the organoamine stabilizer has from about 6 to about 18 carbon atoms.
11. The process of claim 7 , wherein the depositing step is performed by a deposition method selected from the group consisting of screen/stencil printing, stamping, microcontact printing, inkjet printing, spin coating, dip coating, blade coating, casting, and dipping.
12. The process of claim 7 , further comprising the step of depositing a semiconductor layer above the electrically conductive layer comprising silver.
13. The process of claim 7 , further comprising the step of depositing a semiconductor layer prior to depositing the composition comprising silver-containing nanoparticles.
14. The process of claim 7 , wherein the electrically conductive layer has a conductivity of at least 1,000 S/cm.
15. The process of claim 7 , wherein the electrically conductive layer has a conductivity of at least 10,000 S/cm.
16. A process for making an electronic device, comprising:
providing a solution comprising silver-containing nanoparticles and an initial stabilizer on the surface of the silver-containing nanoparticles;
mixing the solution with a carboxylic acid, the carboxylic acid having at least 12 carbon atoms, so as to replace at least a portion of the initial stabilizer with the carboxylic acid, the mixing being performed at about 25° C., resulting in a composition comprising silver-containing nanoparticles having both the initial stabilizer and the carboxylic acid on the surface of the silver-containing nanoparticles;
depositing the composition upon a substrate, resulting in a deposited composition; and
heating the deposited composition to form an electrically conductive layer comprising silver.
17. The composition of claim 16 , wherein the molar ratio of carboxylic acid to silver in the solution is from about 0.01 to about 1.
18. The process of claim 16 , wherein the molar ratio of carboxylic acid to silver in the solution is from about 0.05 to about 0.5.
19. The process of claim 16 , wherein the heating is performed at a temperature of from about 100° C. to about 200° C.
20. A thin-film transistor comprising an electrically conductive layer, wherein the electrically conductive layer comprises silver-containing nanoparticles, the nanoparticles having a carboxylic acid stabilizer and an amine stabilizer on their surface, the carboxylic acid stabilizer having at least 12 carbon atoms.