Electro-Mechanical Properties of Metallized Sodium Alginate Foils at the Limit of the Electrical Conduction
Year: 2025
Authors: Albonetti C., Gotti C., Pasquini L., Gilli N., Liscio F., Longo A., Chiodini S., Dinelli F., Focarete ML., Seri M., Bertoldo M., Maccagnani P.
Autors Affiliation: Consiglio Nazl Ric Ist Studio Mat Nanostrutt CNR I, I-40129 Bologna, Italy; Univ Bologna, Interdept Ctr Ind Res CIRI MAM, Adv Mech & Mat, Alma Mater Studiorum, I-40136 Bologna, Italy; Alma Mater Studiorum Univ Bologna, Dept Phys & Astron Augusto Righi, I-40127 Bologna, Italy; Consiglio Nazl Ric Ist Polimeri Compositi & Biomat, I-80055 Portici, Italy; Fdn Ist Italiano Tecnol IIT, Ctr Nano Sci & Technol CNST, I-20134 Milan, Italy; Consiglio Nazl Ric Ist Nazl Ott CNR INO, I-40129 Bologna, Italy; Alma Mater Studiorum Univ Bologna, Dept Chem Giacomo Ciamician, I-40129 Bologna, Italy; Alma Mater Studiorum Univ Bologna, INSTM UdR Bologna, I-40129 Bologna, Italy; Alma Mater Studiorum Univ Bologna, Interdept Ctr Ind Res Hlth Sci & Technol, I-40064 Bologna, Italy; Univ Ferrara, Dept Chem Pharmaceut & Agr Sci, I-44121 Ferrara, Italy.
Abstract: In recent years, much attention has been given to biopolymers and renewable raw materials obtained from nature to find alternatives to petroleum-based materials. In this context, we developed a free-standing and flexible conductive substrate by sputtering a thin layer of gold onto a foil of sodium alginate, producing conductive self-standing substrates. These substrates have been utilized for the fabrication of eco-designed solution-processed optoelectronic devices. Herein, we report experimental work to study the mechanism behind the dependence of electrical resistance on the mechanical deformation. Data obtained from mechanical measurements, such as strain, stress, deformation, and bending, are correlated with morphological (Atomic Force Microscopy and Transmission Electron Microscopy) and structural (X-ray Diffraction) data relative to both the surface and the subsurface regions of the metallized substrates. Collectively, these data enabled the elucidation of both the composition and spatial distribution of the metal clusters implanted within the polymer matrix. The substrates present an anisotropic Young modulus, making them more stretchable in-plane with respect to out-of-plane. In the elastic regime, the reproducibility of the electrical resistance variations with respect to the stress applied makes these substrates robust candidates for the realization of strain sensors.
Journal/Review: ACS OMEGA
Volume: 10 (29) Pages from: 32326 to: 32338
More Information: The authors are grateful to Giulia Lorusso for p roviding a calibration sample and Eugenio Lunedei for providing the home-built software controlling the Keithley 2602. We are also in debt to the company NuNano for providing some cantilevers. Data were analyzed with the GNU General Public Licensed software QtiPlot, while figures were prepared with the GNU General Public Licensed software Veusz. The SPM measurements and compression tests were performed in the SPM@ISMN facility. Python code is available on the website https://github.com/Cristiano1974a/Python_code.git (accessed on 19 March 2025) and distributed with GNU General Public License v3.0. The work was supported by PNRR MUR project ECS_00000033_ECOSISTER.KeyWords: In-situ Gisaxs; Mechanical-properties; Gold; Film; Polyethyleneterephthalate; Deposition; Stability; Barrier; Growth; EnergyDOI: 10.1021/acsomega.5c04447
