Colloidal Nanosurfactants for 3D Conformal Printing of 2D van der Waals Materials

Abstract

Printing techniques using nanomaterials have emerged as a versatile tool for fast prototyping and potentially large‐scale manufacturing of functional devices. Surfactants play a significant role in many printing processes due to their ability to reduce interfacial tension between ink solvents and nanoparticles and thus improve ink colloidal stability. Here, a colloidal graphene quantum dot (GQD)‐based nanosurfactant is reported to stabilize various types of 2D materials in aqueous inks. In particular, a graphene ink with superior colloidal stability is demonstrated by GQD nanosurfactants via the π–π stacking interaction, leading to the printing of multiple high‐resolution patterns on various substrates using a single printing pass. It is found that nanosurfactants can significantly improve the mechanical stability of the printed graphene films compared with those of conventional molecular surfactant, as evidenced by 100 taping, 100 scratching, and 1000 bending cycles. Additionally, the printed composite film exhibits improved photoconductance using UV light with 400 nm wavelength, arising from excitation across the nanosurfactant bandgap. Taking advantage of the 3D conformal aerosol jet printing technique, a series of UV sensors of heterogeneous structures are directly printed on 2D flat and 3D spherical substrates, demonstrating the potential of manufacturing geometrically versatile devices based on nanosurfactant inks.

Inkjet printing of two-dimensional van der Waals materials: a new route towards emerging electronic device applications

“…5c, while the dispersed flakes tended to reaggregate without NanoS. 99 Again, 2D vdW materials are naturally favoured for inkjet printing by creating layered 2D contacts. As a host of vdW materials, including ternary and even quaternary families, have been newly discovered and synthesized, many researchers have put in a great deal of effort to fully exploit the aforementioned advantages and produce stable and printable inks for emerging large-area applications.…”

Four-Dimensional Printing for Hydrogel: Theoretical Concept, 4D Materials, Shape-Morphing Way, and Future Perspectives

“…The constructed scaffold mimicked (functionally) the biological ECM under physiological conditions. Graphene and graphene quantum dot-based multifunctional sensors and colloidal nanosurfactants for 3D printing are still challenging for implementation in 4D and 3D bioprinting for tissue engineering [135,136].…”

Does plasma jet sintering follow an Arrhenius‐type expression?

“…Additive manufacturing of flexible electronics has received substantial interest due to its ability to rapidly process thin‐layered patterns on various substrates using a wide range of functionalized nanoparticle‐based inks (nanoinks). [ 1–7 ] Printed nanoinks typically require postprocessing sintering to become functional films [ 8–10 ] suited for utilization as antennas, sensors, or circuit elements. Traditional sintering methods rely on a combination of high temperature, high pressure, or fast energy deposition requiring well‐isolated furnaces, robust pressurizing strokes, or collimated lasers.…”