Studies on the adhesion of polyimide coatings on copper foil

Applications of polyimide coatings: a review

Polyimides, high-performance polymers with superior properties such as high temperature stability, resistance to solvents and high strength, can be used in high-tech applications of the aerospace and aviation, medical or electronics industry in different forms (film, fiber, nanofiber, membrane, foam, adhesive or coating). Among these applications, coating has a special place and is used to develop advanced structures having high temperature resistance, flame retardancy and etc. for high tech industries via an economical and feasible way. Therefore, in this review, we aimed to report the broad application status of polyimide coatings by reviewing publications, patents and commercial products. Thus, this study can assist in selecting suitable polyimide types and production methods for polyimide coating applications and in understanding their applicability for future products.

Flexible potentiometric pH sensors for wearable systems

There is a growing demand for developing wearable sensors that can non-invasively detect the signs of chronic diseases early on to possibly enable self-health management. Among these the flexible and stretchable electrochemical pH sensors are particularly important as the pH levels influence most chemical and biological reactions in materials, life and environmental sciences. In this review, we discuss the most recent developments in wearable electrochemical potentiometric pH sensors, covering the key topics such as (i) suitability of potentiometric pH sensors in wearable systems; (ii) designs of flexible potentiometric pH sensors, which may vary with target applications; (iii) materials for various components of the sensor such as substrates, reference and sensitive electrode; (iv) applications of flexible potentiometric pH sensors, and (v) the challenges relating to flexible potentiometric pH sensors.

Mixed Rigid and Flexible Component Design for High-Performance Polyimide Films

To develop the polyimide (PI) which is closely matched to the coefficient of the thermal expansion (CTE) of copper, a series of PIs are prepared from 5,4′-diamino-2-phenyl benzimidazole (DAPBI), 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl ether (ODA), and 3,3′,4,4′-benzophenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA) using a sequential copolymerization, blade coating, and thermal imidization process. The physical properties of the PIs are effectively regulated and optimized by adjusting the ratio of the rigid DAPBI and flexible ODA components. By increasing the DAPBI content, thermal stability, dimensional stability, and mechanical properties, the resultant polymer is enhanced. PI-80 exhibits an excellent comprehensive performance, a glass transition temperature of 370 °C, and a tensile strength of 210 MPa. Furthermore, the CTE as calculated in the range 50–250 °C is ca. 19 ppm/K, which is equal to that of copper. A highly dimensionally stable, curl-free, and high T-style peel strength (6.4 N/cm) of copper/PI laminate was obtained by casting the polyamic acid onto copper foil (13 μm) and thermally curing at 360 °C, which indicates that it has the potential to be applied as an electronic film for flexible displays and flexible printed circuit boards. A structural rationalization for these remarkable properties is also presented.