Synthesis of Cu Nano-particle in Toluene Used for Conductive Ink with a Binder of Polyurethane

Copper nanoparticles with a size of about 150 nm were prepared in toluene using oleic acid as protecting agent. The nanoparticles were used to prepare conductive Cu ink with a polyurethane binder. Oleic acid was used to prevent the nanoparticles from oxidization and agglomeration. The prepared Cu nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The resistivity of the copper film on glass substrate that was prepared using Cu nanoparticle ink reached about 1.5× 10-4 2. cm-1 after it was annealed to 120 ~C. Both the nanoparticle ink and the films were characterized by XRD, fourier transform infrared （FT-IR）, and the thermogravimetry-differential scanning calorimetry instrument （TG- DSC）.

Preparation of Cu@Ag Nanoparticles for Conductive Ink

In order to overcome the shortcomings of low-cost anti-oxidation conductive ink and its preparation method in the field of printing electronics, core-shell coated Cu@Ag nanoparticles were used to prepare conductive ink, and a printed circuit was obtained by inkjet printing. Copper nanoparticles were prepared by a chemical reduction method and then coated with Cu@Ag particles by a copper-based self-catalytic reaction. Conductive ink was prepared by ball milling and dispersion and printed on PI film to form a conductive coating. After characterization and analysis, the particle size and dispersion of the obtained Cu@Ag meet the requirements and can be stored stably under normal atmospheric conditions. The resistivity of the conductive film sintered at 300˚C is only 10.6 μΩ∙cm.

Naturally Crosslinked Biocompatible Carbonaceous Liquid Metal Aqueous Ink Printing Wearable Electronics for Multi-Sensing and Energy Harvesting

Achieving flexible electronics with comfort and durability comparable to traditional textiles is one of the ultimate pursuits of smart wearables.Ink printing is desirable for e-textile development using a simple and inexpensive process.However,fabricating high-performance atop textiles with good dispersity,stability,biocompatibility,and wearability for high-resolution,large-scale manufacturing,and practical applications has remained challenging.Here,waterbased multi-walled carbon nanotubes(MWCNTs)-decorated liquid metal(LM)inks are proposed with carbonaceous gallium–indium micro-nanostructure.With the assistance of biopolymers,the sodium alginate-encapsulated LM droplets contain high carboxyl groups which non-covalently crosslink with silk sericin-mediated MWCNTs.E-textile can be prepared subsequently via printing technique and natural waterproof triboelectric coating,enabling good flexibility,hydrophilicity,breathability,wearability,biocompatibility,conductivity,stability,and excellent versatility,without any artificial chemicals.The obtained e-textile can be used in various applications with designable patterns and circuits.Multi-sensing applications of recognizing complex human motions,breathing,phonation,and pressure distribution are demonstrated with repeatable and reliable signals.Self-powered and energy-harvesting capabilities are also presented by driving electronic devices and lighting LEDs.As proof of concept,this work provides new opportunities in a scalable and sustainable way to develop novel wearable electronics and smart clothing for future commercial applications.

Rheological properties and screen printability of UV curable conductive ink for flexible and washable E-textiles

As a critical component for the realization of flexible electronics,multifunctional electronic textiles(etextiles)still struggle to achieve controllable printing accuracy,excellent flexibility,decent washability and simple manufacturing.The printing process of conductive ink plays an important role in manufacturing e-textiles and meanwhile is also the main source of printing defects.In this work,we report the preparation of fully flexible and washable textile-based conductive circuits with screen-printing method based on novel-developed UV-curing conductive ink that contains low temperature and fast cure features.This work systematically investigated the correlation between ink formulation,rheological properties,screen printability on fabric substrates,and the electrical properties of the e-textile made thereafter.The rheological behaviors,including the thixotropic behavior and oscillatory stress sweep of the conductive inks was found depending heavily on the polymer to diluent ratio in the formulation.Subsequently,the rheological response of the inks during screen printing showed determining influence to their printability on textile,that the proper control of ink base viscosity,recovery time and storage/loss modulus is key to ensure the uniformity of printed conductive lines and therefore the electrical conductivity of fabricated e-textiles.A formulation with 24 wt%polymer and 10.8 wt%diluent meets all these stringent requirements.The conductive lines with 1.0 mm width showed exceptionally low resistivity of 2.06×10^(-5)Ωcm Moreover,the conductive lines presented excellent bending tolerance,and there was no significant change in the sample electrical resistance during 10 cycles of washing and drying processes.It is believed that these novel findings and the promising results of the prepared product will provide the basic guideline to the ink formulation design and applications for screen-printing electronics textiles.

CuCl_(2)-doped graphene-based screen printing conductive inks

The preparation of graphene-based conductive inks and their application in the field of flexible electronics have been extensively studied.However,improving the conductivity of the printed patterns always induces the neglect of the rheological properties of the graphene-based conductive inks or the mechanical properties of the as-printed patterns.In this study,the p-type doping of graphene with CuCl_(2)as the dopant is realized through liquid phase reaction,and the doped graphene powders are used to prepare the graphenebased conductive inks with a conductivity of 3.13×10^(4)S m^(-1).Subsequently,to simplify the preparation of inks,CuCl_(2)is directly added into the graphene-based conductive inks,achieving the p-type doped graphene ink with the conductivity of 3.64×10^(4)S m^(-1).The read range of ultrahigh-frequency radio frequency identification antenna and the temperature of the flexible electrothermal film printed with the CuCl_(2)-doped graphene-based conductive inks can reach 7.15 m and 200℃,respectively when the equivalent isotropically radiated power is equal to 4 W and the input power density is 0.94 W cm^(-2).Moreover,good rheological properties of the conductive inks and high mechanical properties of the printed patterns are also obtained.

Preparation of low-temperature sintered high conductivity inks based on nanosilver self-assembled on surface of graphene

Finer nanoplates of silver are prepared by self-assembly on the surface of graphene,and the low-temperature sintered high conductivity ink containing the silver nanoplates is prepared.Most importantly,graphene is added to the solution before the chemical reduction reaction occurs.Firstly,it is found that silver nanoplates have self-assembly phenomenon on the surface of graphene.Secondly,the Ag nano hexagonal platelets(AgNHPs)with small particle sizes(10 nm),narrow distribution and good dispersion are prepared.Especially,smaller sizes(10 nm)and narrower particle size distribution of AgNHPs particles can be easily controlled by using this process.Finally,the conductivity of the ink is excellent.For example,when the printed patterns were sintering at 150℃,the resistivity of the ink(GE:0.15 g/L)reached the minimum value of 2.2×10^-6 cm.And the resistivity value was 3.7×10^-6Ωcm,when it was sintered at 100℃ for 30 min.The conductive ink prepared can be used for the field of printing electronics as ink-jet printing ink.

One-pot ball-milling preparation of graphene/carbon black aqueous inks for highly conductive and flexible printed electronics

Stable aqueous carbon inks,with graphene sheets(GSs)and carbon black(CB)as conductive fillers,are prepared by a simple one-pot ball-milling method.The asprepared composite ink with 10 wt%GSs shows optimized rheological properties(viscosity and thixotropy)for screen printing.The as-printed coatings based on the above ink are uniform and dense on a polyimide substrate,and exhibit a sandwich-type conductive three dimensional network at the microscale.The resistivity of the typical composite coating is as low as 0.23±0.01Ωcm(92±4Ωsq^-1,25μm),which is 30%as that of a pure CB coating(0.77±0.01Ωcm).It is noteworthy that the resistivity decreases to 0.18±0.01Ωcm(72±4Ωsq^-1,25μm)after a further rolling compression.The coating exhibits good mechanical flexibility,and the resistance slightly increases by 12%after 3000 bending cycles.With the CB/GSs composite coatings as a flexible conductor,fascinating luminescent bookmarks and membrane switches were fabricated,demonstrating the tremendous potential of these coatings in the commercial production of flexible electronics and devices.

Recent progress in printing flexible electronics: A review

Miniaturization and flexibility are becoming the trend in the development of electronic products. These key features are driving new methods in the manufacturing of such products. Printed electronics technology is a novel additive manufacturing technique that uses active inks to print onto a diverse set of substrates, realizing large-area, low-cost, flexible and green manufacturing of electronic products. These advantageous properties make it extremely compatible with flexible electronics fabrication and extend as far as offering revolutionary methods in the production of flexible electronic devices. In this paper, the details of a printing process system are introduced, including the materials that can be employed as inks, common substrates, and the most recently reported printing strategies. An assessment of future setbacks and developments of printed flexible electronics is also presented.

Printable inorganic nanomaterials for flexible transparent electrodes:from synthesis to application

Printed and flexible electronics are definitely promising cutting-edge electronic technologies of the future. They offer a wide-variety of applications such as flexible circuits, flexible displays, flexible solar cells, skinlike pressure sensors, and radio frequency identification tags in our daily life. As the most-fundamental component of electronics, electrodes are made of conductive materials that play a key role in flexible and printed electronic devices. In this review, various inorganic conductive materials and strategies for obtaining highly conductive and uniform electrodes are demonstrated. Applications of printed electrodes fabricated via these strategies are also described. Nevertheless, there are a number of challenges yet to overcome to optimize the processing and performance of printed electrodes.