A new
method for the preparation of electrically conductive nanoparticle–polymer
composite (NPC) films is shown in this work. These films are intended
to be applied in displays. Thin layers of percolating nanoparticles
in an organic polymer matrix are presented. First, a nanoparticle
scaffold with high porosity is prepared. Subsequently, it is infiltrated
with a monomer, which is finally polymerized. The formed composite
is called an inverse nanocomposite, as the continuous percolating
nanoparticle scaffold is formed first and mainly preserved during
the whole process. Indium tin oxide (ITO) nanoparticles obtained from
flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) are laminated onto a substrate. These
porous scaffolds are infiltrated using liquid 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate
(HDDA) as monomer. Restructuring of the particle network during the
liquid imbibition caused by capillary forces leads to an increased
electrical conductivity upon addition of the insulating organic monomer.
A further and even stronger increase in the electrical conductivity
was achieved after UV-curing of the HDDA-filled nanoparticle films,
which is explained by the shrinkage forces of the organic phase during
polymerization. With this new method, electrically conductive thin
films for optoelectronical applications with almost the conductivity
of pure ITO coatings can be produced.