Highly conductive and transient tracks based on silver flakes and a polyvinyl pyrrolidone composite

Transient electronics have been widely researched to solve the electronic waste (E-waste) issue. Although various transient materials and devices have been reported, the fabrication technique for transient conductors always uses expensive sputtering or evaporation processes. In this study, a silver flake (AgF) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) composite is prepared for conductive and transient tracks. The AgF/PVP composite tracks are highly conductive with a resistivity of 8.9 mOhm cm after sintering at 80 °C for only 3 minutes. Impressively, the AgF/PVP tracks disintegrate in water in 3 minutes due to the fast dissolution of the water-soluble PVP. The transient behavior of the AgF/PVP tracks has potential in transient electronics as demonstrated in a light emitting diode (LED) circuit and antenna.