3D Printing High-Resolution Conductive Elastomeric Structures with a Solid Particle-Free Emulsion Ink
2022 (English)In: Advanced Engineering Materials, ISSN 1438-1656, E-ISSN 1527-2648, Vol. 24, no 3, article id 2100902Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Fabricating complex structures on micro- and mesoscales is a critical aspect in the design of advanced sensors and soft electronics. However, soft lithographic methods offer an important approach to fabricating such structures, the progress in the field of additive manufacturing (e.g., 3D printing) offers methods of fabrication with much more material complexity. The rheological complexity of the printing material, however, often dictates the limitations of printing. In particular, the challenges involved in synthesizing printing materials that can enable shape retention at smaller scales (<100 μm), yet be conductive, limits many applications of 3D printing to soft microelectronics. Herein, a printing-centered approach using a novel particle-free conductive emulsion ink is presented. This approach separates the printing and polymerization of a conductive monomer (pyrrole) and renders a novel ink that is used to print filaments with heretofore impossible to realize 3D feature dimensions and build structures with high shape retention. The printability of the ink is evaluated, and post-treatment properties assessed. Multidirectional strain sensors are printed using the emulsion ink to illustrate an exemplary application in soft electronics.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Wiley , 2022. Vol. 24, no 3, article id 2100902
Keywords [en]
3D printing, conductive emulsion, particle-free, strain sensing, Aromatic compounds, Emulsification, Microelectronics, Advanced sensors, Complex structure, Elastomeric structure, Feature dimensions, Lithographic methods, Material complexity, Printing materials, Soft electronics, 3D printers
National Category
Textile, Rubber and Polymeric Materials Polymer Chemistry
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-311111DOI: 10.1002/adem.202100902ISI: 000685666500001Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85112785406OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-311111DiVA, id: diva2:1654405
Note
QC 20220427
2022-04-272022-04-272022-06-25Bibliographically approved