Conductive and flexible nanocomposite patterns embedded in elastomer using microcontact printing and cast molding

This work reports a novel method to embed conductive and flexible elastomer micropatterns into a bulk elastomer. Combining microcontact printing and cast molding techniques, patterns of conductive silicone composite mixed with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are embedded into a bulk poly(dimethyl-siloxane) (PDMS) to form an all-elastomer device. Also, electrical conductivity of the silicone composite is characterized with different loading percentages of MWCNTs. This approach proves to be a simple and reliable method to pattern con-ductive elastomers that work as electrodes or sensing probes in elastomer-based de-vices. This technique yields many potential applications in lab-on-a-chip systems