Efficient Inkjet Printing of Graphene-Based Elements: Influence of Dispersing Agent on Ink Viscosity

Abstract

Inkjet printing is an excellent printing technique and an attractive alternative to conventional technologies for the production of flexible, low-cost microelectronic devices. Among many parameters that have a significant impact on the correctness of the printing process, the most important is ink viscosity. During the printing process, the ink is influenced by different strains and forces, which significantly change the printing results. The authors present a model and calculations referring to the shear rate of ink in an inkjet printer nozzle. Supporting experiments were conducted, proving the model assumptions for two different ink formulations: initial ink and with the addition of a dispersing agent. The most important findings are summarized by the process window regime of parameters, which is much broader for the inks with a dispersing agent. Such inks exhibit preferable viscosity, better print-ability, and higher path quality with lower resistivity. Presented results allow stating that proper, stable graphene inks adjusted for inkjet technique rheology must contain modifiers such as dispersing agents to be effectively printed.

Production and Patterning of Liquid Phase–Exfoliated 2D Sheets for Applications in Optoelectronics

“…First and foremost, no common solvents with a rheology compatible with inkjet printing are suitable for LPE. Inkjet printing requires a careful tailoring of the viscosity and surface tension of the ink formulation to achieve stable droplet formation . Furthermore, high‐concentration dispersions are required to prevent the need for multiple print passes and to avoid aggregation, which may occur during drying .…”

Direct Ink Writing Technology (3D Printing) of Graphene-Based Ceramic Nanocomposites: A Review

“…practical way to stabilize the inks is to use GO or rGO together with surfactants that improve the dispersity of sheets [257,260,261,262], thereby it reduces the probability of agglomerate formation in graphene-based inks [257]. Different studies on IJP with graphene-based inks have been carried out, mainly for applications in electronic, bioelectronic, and energy storage [263][264][265][266][267][268].…”

Highly Loaded Mildly Edge‐Oxidized Graphene Nanosheet Dispersions for Large‐Scale Inkjet Printing of Electrochemical Sensors

“…Inkjet printing of a large range of materials has been reported ranging from metal/metal oxide nanoparticles, polymers to carbonaceous materials like carbon black, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or graphene and its derivatives . Metal nanoparticles, like Ag, Pt, Au or Cu, are attractive for many sensing applications but are often expensive or unstable ( e. g .…”

“…[11][12][13][14] Inkjet printing of a large range of materials has been reported ranging from metal/metal oxide nanoparticles, [15][16][17][18] polymers [19] to carbonaceous materials like carbon black, [20] carbon nanotubes (CNTs) [21][22][23][24] or graphene and its derivatives. [25][26][27] Metal nanoparticles, like Ag, Pt, Au or Cu, are attractive for many sensing applications but are often expensive or unstable (e. g. due to chemical oxidation). On the contrary, CNTs or graphene are chemically and mechanically stable and possess exceptional thermal and electronic properties.…”