LAUSR

Abstract High-performance fabrics with excellent electrical conductivity are increasingly attractive in modern industries. In this study, we report an electrically conductive silver/polyimide fabric (Ag/PIF) composite fabricated by combining an O 2 plasma pretreatment and a spray-assisted electroless plating (SAELP) technique. O 2 plasma treatment is firstly employed to roughen the surface of PIF and introduce functional aldehyde or ketone groups, which can act as a reducing agent and facilitate an even nucleation initiation of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on the surface of the PIF. A silver ion solution and a reducing agent are then mixed evenly and sprayed to the PIF immediately to obtain Ag/PIF composites. The effects of O 2 plasma treatment and SAELP duration on the Ag/PIF composites are investigated and discussed. The results demonstrate that the silver layer is coated on the PIF uniformly and densely with a surface resistance of 0.1 Ω/sq. The first decomposition temperature of the Ag/PIF composites is up to 600 °C, indicating excellent thermal stability. The enhanced adhesion between Ag NPs and PIF endows the composites excellent fastness and superior flexibility. This work gives a new strategy for fabricating flexible, electrically conductive functional metal coated fabrics with high-performance properties in an efficient, facile and scalable way.