Silver formation using stannous alkoxide complexes

1. A method for forming an article, comprising:

providing a first water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing pattern on a first supporting surface of a substrate, the first water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing pattern provided from a non-aqueous stannous alkoxide composition that comprises the following components:

component (a) comprising a water-insoluble stannous alkoxide complex comprising stannous ions, which is present in an amount of at least 1 weight %, based on the total weight of the non-aqueous stannous alkoxide composition, and

a photocurable component (b), non-photocurable water-insoluble polymer component (c) having a molecular weight of at least 10,000, or both the photocurable component (b) and the non-photocurable water-insoluble polymer component (c), wherein:

when photocurable component (b) is present, the water-insoluble stannous alkoxide composition further comprises photosensitizer component (d) that is different from all of components (a) through (c), in an amount of at least 1 weight %, based on the total weight of the non-aqueous stannous alkoxide composition,

wherein the water-insoluble stannous alkoxide complex is represented by the following Structure (I):

R 1 O—Sn—OR 2    (I)

wherein R 1 and R 2 are independently substituted or unsubstituted alkyl groups comprising 1 to 12 carbon atoms.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

if photocurable component (b) is present, photocuring the first stannous alkoxide-containing pattern to provide the first water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing pattern,

contacting the first water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing pattern with reducible silver ions to chemically reduce the reducible silver ions and to provide silver(0) particles on the surface of the first water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing pattern, and

electrolessly plating an electrically-conductive metal other than silver onto the silver(0) particles on the surface of the first water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing pattern, to form an electrically-conductive pattern corresponding to the water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing pattern.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming the first water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing pattern by patternwise applying the non-aqueous stannous alkoxide composition using a relief printing member.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the relief printing member is a flexographic printing member.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

uniformly applying the non-aqueous stannous alkoxide composition that comprises photocurable component (b) to the first supporting surface of the substrate to form a uniform layer of the non-aqueous stannous alkoxide composition,

patternwise photocuring the uniform layer to form photocured regions and non-photocured regions in the uniform layer, and

removing the non-photocured regions of the uniform layer to form the first water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing pattern.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a continuous polymeric web having a first portion on the first supporting surface, and the first water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing pattern is formed in the first portion.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the substrate is a continuous polyester web having a first portion on the first supporting surface, and the first water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing pattern is formed in the first portion, and

further comprising:

forming one or more additional water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing patterns in one or more additional portions of the first supporting surface of the continuous polyester web,

contacting the first water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing pattern and the one or more additional water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing patterns with reducible silver ions to chemically reduce the reducible silver ions and provide silver(0) particles on the surface of each of the first and the one or more additional water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing patterns, and

electrolessly plating the silver (0) particles on the surface of each of the first and the one or more additional water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing patterns with an electrically-conductive metal other than silver, to form electrically-conductive patterns corresponding to each of the first and one or more additional water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing patterns.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing pattern and the one or more additional water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing patterns are formed in sequence on the first supporting surface of the continuous polyester web, and

each of the first and one or more additional water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing patterns are sequentially or simultaneously:

contacted with reducible silver ions to form silver (0) particles on the surface of each of the first and one or more additional water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing patterns, and

electrolessly plated with an electrically-conductive metal other than silver, corresponding to the first and one or more additional water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing patterns.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing pattern is formed on the first supporting side of the continuous polyester web, and the one or more additional water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing patterns are formed on an opposing second supporting surface of the continuous polyester web.

10. The method of claim 7 , comprising forming the first water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing pattern and the one or more additional water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing patterns on the first supporting surface of the continuous polyester web, and also forming one or more additional water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing patterns on an opposing second supporting surface of the continuous polyester web.

11. The method of claim 7 , comprising forming each of the first and one or more additional water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing water-insoluble patterns on the first supporting surface of the continuous polyester web using individual flexographic printing members for each water-insoluble stannous alkoxide-containing pattern.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water-insoluble stannous alkoxide complex has a molecular weight of 3,000 or less.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the water-insoluble stannous alkoxide complex is attached to a free radically photocurable material that is the same as or different from the photocurable component (b).

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water-insoluble stannous alkoxide complex is present in the non-aqueous stannous alkoxide composition in an amount of at least 1 weight % and up to and including 30 weight %, based on the total weight of the non-aqueous stannous alkoxide composition.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the photocurable component (b) comprises a photoinitiator in an amount of at least 3 weight %, based on the total weight of the non-aqueous stannous alkoxide composition.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein water-insoluble stannous alkoxide composition further comprises an inert solvent.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water-insoluble stannous alkoxide composition comprises photocurable component (b) that also acts as an organic solvent for the water-insoluble stannous alkoxide composition and no inert organic solvents are purposely added to the water-insoluble stannous alkoxide composition.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the water-insoluble stannous alkoxide composition further comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: carbon black, graphite, graphene, carbon nanotubes, carbon-coated copper nanoparticles, and carbon-coated silver nanoparticles, each in an amount of at least 0.5 weight % based on the total weight of the water-insoluble stannous alkoxide composition.