A molecular pathway to corrosion-resistant printable copper

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Zhang, Jun; Zhang, Qiubo; Feng, Qikun; Sun, Xiao; Xu, Lin; Wang, Zhongxuan; Zheng, Xueying; Yang, Linlin; Khuje, Saurabh; Zheng, Haimei; Hu, Liangbing; Ren, Shenqiang
• 署名单位: University System of Maryland; University of Maryland College Park; United States Department of Energy (DOE); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; University of California System; University of California Berkeley; University of Koblenz; Yale University; Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya (IREC); University of Barcelona
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.aed4488
• 发表日期: 2026-05-14
• 页码: 766-770
• 关键词: low-temperature; Ink; oxidation; films; DECOMPOSITION; fabrication; chemistry

摘要

Copper's exceptional electrical and thermal conductivities make it essential for electronics and energy systems. However, oxidation and corrosion limit its long-term reliability, and existing protection strategies often involve high-temperature or multistep processing. We report a molecularly reactive strategy that converts copper precursors to metallic copper at <150 degrees C, while generating an ultrathin carbonaceous and copper(I) surface passivation. Catechol-based ligands mediate copper reduction, enable low-temperature interparticle fusion, and impart surface passivation, yielding flexible copper with low resistivity and exceptional stability (>1000 hours in acid, >200 hours in sulfide, >240 hours at 140 degrees C). This strategy resolves the long-standing trade-off between conductivity, corrosion resistance, and processability for next-generation flexible electronics and energy systems.