engleski

Inkjet printable conductive inks based on melamine intercalated graphene nanosheets

The miniaturization and persistent presence of smart devices has led to their mass production, with digital inkjet printing technology standing out as a simple, fast, and economical manufacturing method. Such an approach requires the formulation of an electrically conductive ink based on dissolving and stabilizing the functional material in a suitable solvent or solvent mixture. Due to its outstanding electrical conductivity and mechanical durability, intensive research has been focused on the manufacturing techniques of graphene. Presented here is a study on the preparation and optimization of graphene inks suitable for inkjet printing on a PET substrate. We have adopted a facile mechanochemical route for single and two layered graphene nanosheet fabrication, by melamine induced exfoliation in a planetary ball mill. Stability of the melamine intercalated graphene nanosheets (M-GNs) was evaluated in several solvents. Finally the M-GNs were dispersed in a mixture of water and ethanol with the aid of commercial polymeric dispersants Solsperse 20000 and 12000S at a concentration of 3 mg/mL. Surface tension, viscosity and density of this ink were optimized to match the inkjet printer requirements. Dynamic light scattering measurements revealed an adequate average particle size of 200 nm. Multiple layers of the ink were printed and electrical properties of the samples were evaluated. The printed features were exposed to intense pulsed light (IPL), thereby lowering their sheet resistance by an order of magnitude.

graphene ; mechanochemistry ; ink formulation ; inkjet printing ; intense pulse light

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