(Invited) A Printed Carbon Nanotube Sensor on a Flexible Substrate

Abstract

This work presents inkjet printing of carbon nanotubes on a flexible substrate for a sensor application. An inkjet printed carbon nanotube pattern can be used as a conductive trace or an electrode for a low-cost flexible sensor or a printable electronic device. In this work, an office inkjet printer was modified to print an ink solution made of carbon nanotubes to form conductive patterns on a flexible substrate. Preparation of aqueous carbon nanotube ink was investigated and optimized to achieve good dispersion of carbon nanotubes and high conductance of the printed carbon nanotube patterns. Electrical properties of the printed carbon nanotube pattern were also characterized with a flexible substrate. For a sensor demonstration, the printed carbon nanotube electrode was tested as a working electrode of an electrochemical cell. The results show a promising feasibility for inkjet printed sensor applications.