Reactive Silver Oxalate Ink Composition with Enhanced Curing Conditions for Flexible Substrates

A solid silver-ligand complex, μ-oxolato-bis(ethylenediaminesilver(I)), was developed for formulating particle-free conductive metal–organic decomposition (MOD) inkjet inks. The complex comprises both a high molar silver content and solubility in inkjet compatible polar solvents. An aqueous ink formulation with 29.5 wt % silver content was developed and inkjet printed onto glass, polyethylene terephthalate, and polyimide substrates. A new hybrid thermal-photonic curing approach resulting in substantially improved electrical properties and substrate adhesion is presented. Silver conductive traces were measured to have bulk resistivity of 4.26 × 10 –8 Ω m, which is 2.7 times that of bulk silver. One-pot complex synthesis yielded an easily isolated, and stable, solid product that can be formulated when needed thereby improving shelf life.