Flexible and conductive bilayer membranes of nanoporous gold and silicone: Synthesis and characterization

This work describes a simple fabrication process to produce a highly flexible bilayer membrane, consisting of a nanoporous gold layer embedded into the surface of a thin elastomer film. The nanoporous gold film shows excellent adhesion due to mechanical interlocking with the elastomer substrate, which penetrates its nanoscale pores. As the bilayer is stretched, the nanoporous gold layer cracks and the resulting bilayer has an effective elastic modulus that is only slightly higher than the elastomer (E∼1.35 MPa). The film also exhibits low resistivity, which smoothly varies from ∼1× 10-6 to ∼3× 10-5 m as elongated to ∼25% strain. The advantages and limitations of the bilayer with respect to sensing and actuation are briefly outlined.