title: Latent synthesis of electrically conductive surface-silvered polyimide films.
abstract: A facile ambient temperature route to the fabrication of surface silver-metallized polyimide films is described. Silver(I) trifluoromethanesulfonate or silver(I) nitrate and a polyimide, derived from 2,2-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane dianhydride and an equimolar amount of 4,4'-oxydianiline and 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid, were dissolved together in dimethylacetamide. Silver(I)-doped films were prepared at thicknesses of 25-40 microm and depleted of solvent by evaporation at ambient temperature and low humidity. The silver(I)-ion-containing films were then treated with aqueous solutions of the reducing agents hydrazine hydrate and hydroxylamine, which brought forth surface-silvered films exhibiting conductivity on the order of bulk polycrystalline silver accompanied by modest-to-high specular reflectivity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia 23187, USA.
authors.forename: Luke M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Abelt
authors.forename: Joseph L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Evguenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Orlova
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Thompson