Oxidation Prevention Properties of Reduced Graphene Oxide Mixed with 1-Octanethiol-Coated Copper Nanopowder Composites

Abstract

1-Octanethiol-coated Cu nanoparticles were mixed with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to fabricate Cu nanoinks with enhanced oxidation prevention. Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized using modified Hummer's method and rGO was reduced from GO using hydrazine hydrate. Copper nanoinks were fabricated with varying concentrations of rGO (Cu : rGO ratios of 100 : 1, 500 : 1, and 1000 : 1 wt.%). The coating layers on the copper nanoparticles and rGO were observed using transmission electron microscopy and characterized by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. It was observed that surface roughness increased as the concentration of rGO in Cu patterns increased, and an optimized Cu : rGO weight ratio of 1,000 : 1 was established. After sintering, the electrical properties and corrosion resistance of copper patterns both with and without rGO were measured and monitored for 200 days. The copper pattern with rGO (Cu : rGO = 1,000 : 1) was found to maintain its initial resistivity (1.63 x 10(-7) Omega.m) for 150 days. Corrosion tests were conducted to confirm the oxidation prohibition of rGO. The resistance polarization (R-p) of the copper pattern was measured to be 1.5 times higher than that of the copper pattern without rGO. Thus, rGO was shown to prevent oxidation and improve the conductivity of copper patterns.