Advanced piezoresistance of extended metal/insulator core shell nanoparticle assemblies

TL;DR

This paper investigates the pressure-sensitive electrical properties of metal/insulator core/shell nanoparticle assemblies, revealing their potential as novel sensing materials with tunable conductivity under pressure.

Contribution

It demonstrates the fabrication of ceramic-coated metal nanoparticles with high pressure sensitivity and explores the insulating behavior of graphene-coated copper nanoparticles in core/shell structures.

Findings

Ceramic-coated metal nanoparticles exhibit exceptional pressure-sensitive conductivity.

Graphene bi- and trilayers on copper nanoparticles are insulating yet pressure-dependent.

Core/shell assemblies provide a new route for pressure sensing materials.

Abstract

Assembled metal/insulator nanoparticles with a core/shell geometry provide access to materials containing a large number (>106) of tunneling barriers. We demonstrate the production of ceramic coated metal nanoparticles exhibiting an exceptional pressure sensitive conductivity. We further show that graphene bi- and trilayers on 20 nm copper nanoparticles are insulating in such core/shell geometry and show a similar pressure dependent conductivity. This demonstrates that core/shell metal/insulator assemblies offer a route to alternative sensing materials.