Conductive Micropatterns Containing Photoinduced In Situ Reduced Graphene Oxide Prepared by Ultraviolet Photolithography

Herein, one kind of conductive patterned film with high resolution comprised of reduced graphene oxide (RGO) is prepared by the ultraviolet photolithography technique. RGO working as a conductive filler greatly improves the conductivity of films and is formed through the photoinduced in situ reduction of graphene oxide (GO) added to the photoresist of the patterned films. This photoreduction method is very eco-friendly and efficient with a reduction time of <20 min. Furthermore, the effect of various factors on the conductivity of the films is investigated in detail, and appropriate conditions are selected to optimize the photoreduction of GO to obtain the best conductivity. The maximum conductivity of the fabricated films is 9.90 S cm(-1), and micropatterns can reach 0.98 S cm(-1). While photoinduced in situ reduction facilitates the dispersion of RGO in the photoresist, the photoresist also serves as an encapsulant to avoid the contact of RGO with oxygen and moisture in the air, which enables the conductive films and micropatterns to have excellent storage stability and suitability for various substrates, especially flexible substrates. Hence, a feasible strategy is offered for the preparation of conductive films and micropatterns with promising prospects in the field of flexible electronic devices.