Phys.org November 21, 2024
Commercially available inks designed and optimized for Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) are currently very limited. A team of researchers in the US (Iowa State University, University of Wisconsin – Madison) developed a new silver nanoink platform by synthesizing silver nanoparticles in situ with biobased polymer 2-hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC). This approach significantly outperformed the traditional use of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The synthesized nanoinks produced precise, high-resolution features by EHD printing with smooth lines narrower than 5 μm. They developed a semiempirical model to reveal the relationship between printing resolution, ink properties, and printing parameters, enabling precise printing control, demonstrated its ability to achieve precise fabrication under microgravity. According to the researchers their study expands the potential of printing thin films for the on-demand manufacturing of electronic devices in space… read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
Graphical abstract. Credit: ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, Vol 16, Issue 33, pp 44225–44235, July 30, 2024