A molecular pathway to corrosion-resistant printable copper

Science 2026

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Authors: J Zhang, Qiubo Zhang, Qikun Feng, Xiao Sun, Lin Xu, Zhongxuan Wang, Xueying Zheng, Linlin Yang, Saurabh Khuje, Haimei Zheng, Liangbing Hu, Shenqiang Ren
DOI: 10.1126/science.aed4488
Cited by: 4
References: 50

Abstract

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 1000 hours in acid, >200 hours in sulfide, >240 hours at 140°C). This strategy resolves the long-standing trade-off between conductivity, corrosion resistance, and processability for next-generation flexible electronics and energy systems.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Nanomaterials and Printing Technologies Copper Interconnects and Reliability Electrodeposition and Electroless Coatings

Publication details

Journal / source
Science
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Volume
392
Issue
6799
Pages
766–770
Publication date
14 May 2026
Language
EN