Facile\nand Scalable Synthesis of Whiskered Gold Nanosheets\nfor Stretchable, Conductive, and Biocompatible Nanocomposites

Abstract

Noble\nmetal nanomaterials have been studied as conductive fillers\nfor stretchable, conductive, and biocompatible nanocomposites. However,\ntheir performance as conductive filler materials is far from ideal\nbecause of their high percolation threshold and low intrinsic conductivity.\nMoreover, the difficulty in large-scale production is another critical\nhurdle in their practical applications. Here we report a method for\nthe facile and scalable synthesis of whiskered gold nanosheets (W-AuNSs)\nfor stretchable, conductive, and biocompatible nanocomposites and\ntheir application to stretchable bioelectrodes. W-AuNSs show a lower\npercolation threshold (1.56 vol %) than those of gold nanoparticles\n(5.02 vol %) and gold nanosheets (2.74 vol %), which enables the fabrication\nof W-AuNS-based stretchable nanocomposites with superior conductivity\nand high stretchability. Addition of platinum-coated W-AuNSs (W-AuNSs@Pt)\nto the prepared nanocomposite significantly reduces the impedance\nand improved charge storage capacity. Such enhanced performance of\nthe stretchable nanocomposite enables us to fabricate stretchable\nbioelectrodes whose performance is demonstrated through animal experiments\nincluding electrophysiological recording and electrical stimulation <i>in vivo</i>.