Rapid, Room-Temperature Preparation of Highly Conductive Porous Paper-Based Gold Thin Films – IP 1427

FIUinventors have created a new approach for preparing paper-based gold films withexcellent conductive and electrochemical properties. A simple, ambient vacuumfiltration method is used to rapidly generate gold films without the need forsophisticated instruments or a clean-room environment. The process takes 25minutes and requires only two steps of filtration with two aqueous solutions.This is the first report on the use ofmetallic single-walled carbonnanotubes (M-SWCNTs) as an interface for the directdeposition of AuNPs to immediately form a conductive, three-dimensional goldfilm on a paper substrate. Easy to use, economical, and environmentallyfriendlymixed cellulose ester (MCE) filter paper supports the hybrid nanostructure. The resulting 3Dporous gold films demonstrate a high surface area-to-volume ratios, highconductivity, and good mechanical properties. This procedure offers a promisingnew approach that could be readily generalized for the highly reproduciblefabrication of various metal films at ambient conditions, and could also beused as a prelude to transferring the resulting film to other metal or flexiblesubstrates. Anne Laure Schmitt Olivier aschmitt@fiu.edu 305-348-5948