Micropatterning MXene/TiO2 Nanocomposite Ink for Gas Sensing

Abstract

This work describes the preparation, characterization and micropatterning of MXene (Ti3C2/TiO2) nanocomposite inks. The MXene nanopowder was oxidized to Ti3C2/TiO2 nanocomposite powder by stirring in air for 3 hours using air aging method. The Ti3C2/TiO2 nanocomposite powder was then dispersed into Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) solvent, and the Ti3C2/TiO2 ink was prepared by using 1% mass fraction of Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) solution as dispersant. The two-dimensional layered nanostructure of MXene and the characteristic peaks of TiO2 were observed by Raman and XRD results. SEM and TEM results show the layered structure of MXene nanoparticles as well as TiO2 nanoparticles with a diameter of about 2 nm on a single layer of MXene. FTIR results confirms that Ti-O bonds and Ti-C bonds indicating that part of Ti3C2 was oxidized to TiO2. The results of Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) test on Ti3C2/TiO2 nanocomposite ink show that the specific surface area of the ink is 10.7194 m²/g and the maximum adsorption of N2 is 32.039cm3/g. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicate that Ti3C2/TiO2 exhibited excellent thermal stability, with a mass loss of only 15% at 800°C. In order to achieve the optimal printing effect, plasma surface treatment was carried out on the gold-plated silicon wafers, Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and glass substrates, which decreases the contact angle of the ink on these substrates. The printing of Ti3C2/TiO2 nanocomposite ink on the substrate using the atomized printing technique with a mask plate enables printing of straight lines with a line width of 5µm. Film thickness can be controlled by adjusting the distance between the printhead and the substrate, as well as the pressure of the atomized printing jet.