Office Inkjet Printer Research Articles

One-step inkjet printing of tungsten oxide-poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulphonate hybrid film and its applications in electrochromic devices

Hybrid film comprised tungsten oxide and poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene sulphonate (WO3–PEDOT:PSS) was developed by applying one-step inkjet printing from an office inkjet printer. The WO3 nanoparticles were synthesized from commercial crystalline WO3 powder through a wet ball-milling process, which is a simple, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective method of using water as a green solvent and low-energy milling. The WO3–PEDOT:PSS inkjet ink was prepared by dispersing the as-milled WO3 and PEDOT:PSS in n-propanol and deionized water. The inkjet-printed WO3–PEDOT:PSS thin films show marked improvements of cathodic electrochromism over WO3 films: the transmittance change of 20% at 550nm (visible region) and 35% at 900nm (infrared region) along with the response time of 5.67/0.30s in their colored/bleached state, and the electrochromic coloration efficiency of 27.86cm2/C at 550nm and 69.64cm2/C at 900nm.

Creating Patterned Conjugated Polymer Images Using Water-Compatible Reactive Inkjet Printing.

The fabrication of patterned conjugated polymer images on solid substrates has gained significant attention recently. Office inkjet printers can be used to generate flexible designs of functional materials on substrates on a large scale and in an inexpensive manner. Although creating patterns of conjugated polymers on paper using common office inkjet printers has been reported, only a few examples exist, such as polyaniline (PANI) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), because only water-compatible inks can be utilized. Herein, we describe the production of poly(phenylenevinylene) (PPV) patterns on paper by employing a reactive inkjet printing (RIJ) method. In this process, printing of a hydrophilic terephthaldehyde, bis(triphenylphosphonium salt) and potassium t-butoxide using a common office inkjet printer leads to formation PPV patterns as a consequence of an in situ Wittig reaction. In addition, microarrayed PPV patterns are also readily generated on solid substrates, such as glass and PDMS, when a piezoelectric dispenser system is employed. The in situ prepared PPV was found to be insoluble in water and chloroform. As a result, unreacted excess reagents and byproducts can be efficiently removed by washing with these solvents.

Inkjet-printed Ag electrodes on paper for high sensitivity impedance measurements

Paper electrodes, fabricated by a standard office inkjet printer, show a high sensitivity enhancement for impedance measurement.

Inkjet‐Printable Amphiphilic Polydiacetylene Precursor for Hydrochromic Imaging on Paper

Hydrochromic materials find great utility in a wide range of applications including humidity sensing and measuring the water contents of organic solvents, as well as substrates for rewritable paper and human sweat pore mapping. Herein, an inkjet printable diacetylene (DA) is described that can be transformed by UV irradiation to a hydrochromic‐conjugated polymer on conventional paper. Specifically, an amphiphilic DA that contains an ­imidazolium ion head‐group is found to be compatible with a common office inkjet printer. Various computer‐designed images are printed on paper using this substance. UV irradiation of the printed images results in the generation of blue‐colored images associated with formation of a polydiacetylene (PDA). The resolutions of the images are almost identical to those generated using a conventional black ink. Importantly, the printed images undergo a blue‐to‐red color change upon exposure to water and the hydrochromism is found to be temperature dependent. The facile color change that occurs near body ­temperatures enables use of the hydrochromic PDA‐coated paper for rapid and precise mapping of human sweat pores from fingers, palms, and feet.

Cost Effective Inkjet Printing of Titania Nanoparticles for Photocatalytic Applications

Titania is one of the most promising materials in the field of light induced catalysis on surfaces. In the last decades researchers investigated in particular applications like self-cleaning and photochemical degradation of pollutants. Moreover titania present antibacterial properties, which allows to consider uses in the biomedical field. The most immediate method to produce titania coatings is the anodization of a titanium substrate, which is able to provide good results in terms of quality and reproducibility. Alternative methods to employ titania when a titanium substrate cannot be provided have been developed as well, including TiO2 codeposition with metals, sol-gel deposition and inkjet printing. In particular inkjet printing of titania nanoparticles is of great interest due to the possibility of creating patterns in an easy and cheap way, controlling the thickness of the deposited layer with good accuracy. TiO2 inkjet printing has been attempted in the past mainly using laboratory printers, with good results in terms of photocatalytic and antimicrobial activity. Possible challenges for the future are the optimization of the method and the use of widely available office inkjet printers to increase the flexibility of the process. The present work aims at depositing titania from a commercial office inkjet printer, modified to use custom made inks containing nanoparticles obtained by sol-gel synthesis. The nanoparticles of titania thus obtained are characterized via TEM to quantify the mean size and the diameters distribution. The subsequent formulation of the printing inks is done following the specifications of the corresponding pigmented inks used in standard printing on paper. In particular viscosity and surface tension are measured and modified to obtain the best printing quality. Finally the printed layers, either in form of continuous samples or patterns, are characterized from the morphological point of view and their photocatalytic efficiency is tested. Moreover, as preliminary results, the printed layers are tested on conductive substrates for electrophotocatalysis as well.

A Fully Inkjet-Printed Carbon Nanotube Electrochemical Sensor on Paper

We present a fully inkjet-printed electrochemical sensor on paper, which uses inkjet-printed carbon nanotubes as the working, counter, and reference electrodes. Although paper-based electrochemical sensors have been demonstrated previously, our method of fabrication is both faster and cheaper and fully inkjet-printed. Due to its superior patterning ability, inkjet printing allows for the fabrication of on-demand paper-based electrochemical sensors without the use of templates or post-deposition photolithography. Additionally, in combining inkjet printing with an exciting material like carbon nanotubes rather than common metals (i.e. gold and silver), the fabrication cost is further reduced, and the possibility for mechanically flexible sensors becomes a reality. The use of paper as a substrate offers many advantages over other possible rigid substrates as well as flexible polymer substrates. Of course, paper is indeed a renewable resource and thus is a very cost-effective substrate for fabrication of disposable sensors. Additionally, paper is naturally flexible, preventing damage to the sensor upon external stress during use. Finally, paper is a great candidate for microfluidic applications due to its superb ability to transport liquids. The fabrication process is remarkably simple. The electrode design was developed using any drawing software or CAD. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were dispersed in deionized (DI) water using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), an anionic surfactant. More specifically, a bottle containing 10 mg/ml of MWCNTs and 8 mg/ml of SDS was sonicated for 30 minutes and centrifuged at 12,000 rpm for 5 minutes. The carbon nanotube ink was then injected into a clean ink cartridge and printed using an office inkjet printer. In order to ensure proper functionality, a low electrode resistance was necessary. This was achieved by printing the carbon nanotube ink multiple times to reduce the sheet resistance. We were able to achieve less than 2 k-ohm/square with 20 prints on paper. The sensor was tested with various concentrations of FeSO4 in 0.1 M H2SO4. A simple potentiostat circuit was used along with a LabView FieldPoint module for voltage control and current measurement. Potential step voltammetry was employed and the saturation current was used as a means to determine analyte concentration.

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

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.

Inkjet Printable Flexible Thin-Film NCQD Photodetectors on Unmodified Transparency Films

We proposed and experimentally demonstrated a cost-efficient and easy-to-fabricate flexible thin-film nanocrystal quantum dot (NCQD) photodetector, by sandwiching a piece of NCQD-soaked tracing paper between two PEDOT:PSS electrodes. The highly conductive and transparent multilayer polymer electrodes are printed with an office inkjet printer without further patterning on commercial unmodified transparency films. The tracing paper is able to act as both the bed for NCQD attachment and the interspacing layer to prevent short-circuiting in vertical devices. Consistent increase in device performance is observed when the bending radius becomes smaller. Linear I-V characteristics are obtained, which show our device structure works as a photoconductor.

Using an Office Inkjet Printer to Define the Formation of Copper Films on Paper

A low-cost fabrication process for forming conductive copper lines on paper is presented. An office inkjet printer was used to deposit desired patterns of silver nitrate and tannic acid solutions sequentially on paper. Silver nitrate was instantaneously reduced in situ on paper by tannic acid at room temperature to form silver nanoparticles, which acted as catalysts for the subsequent electroless deposition of copper. The copper films were 1.8 μm thick, and the sheet resistance of the copper film on paper was 9 Ω/□. A dual monopole ultrawide band antenna was fabricated on paper and its performance was equivalent to that of a similar antenna fabricated on a copper-film covered Kapton substrate using conventional lithographic processes. The paper-based conductive copper films fabricated using the facile process presented herein will aid the development of low-cost flexible circuits and sensors.

Inkjet-Compatible Single-Component Polydiacetylene Precursors for Thermochromic Paper Sensors

Inkjet-printable diacetylene (DA) supramolecules, which can be dispersed in water without using additional surfactants, have been developed. The supramolecules are generated from DA monomers that contain bisurea groups, which are capable of forming hydrogen-bonding networks, and hydrophilic oligoethylene oxide moieties. Because of suitable size distribution and stability characteristics, the single DA component ink can be readily transferred to paper substrates by utilizing a common office inkjet printer. UV irradiation of the DA-printed paper results in generation of blue-colored polydiacetylene (PDA) images, which show reversible thermochromic transitions in specific temperature ranges. Inkjet-printed PDAs, in the format of a two-dimensional (2D) quick response (QR) code on a real parking ticket, serve as a dual anticounterfeiting system that combines easy decoding of the QR code and colorimetric PDA reversibility for validating the authenticity of the tickets. This single-component ink system has great potential for use in paper-based devices, temperature sensors, and anticounterfeiting barcodes.

An inkjet-printable microemulsion system for colorimetric polydiacetylene supramolecules on paper substrates

Owing to their flexible, light-weight and disposable properties, paper-based electronic and sensor systems have gained much attention. Efficient immobilization and patterning of functional materials on paper substrates are critical to device performance. Herein, we report an inkjet printable and photopolymerizable diacetylene (DA) containing microemulsion system that can be readily transferred to paper substrates using a common office inkjet printer. UV-induced polymerization afforded clean formation of polydiacetylene (PDA) supramolecules on paper and the polymer displayed a typical thermochromism. The resolution of the printed PDA images was found to be equivalent to that of conventional black ink. The randomly oriented DA in the oil phase was found to be transformed to self-assembled layered structures upon printing. The printed PDA supramolecules derived from 5,7-dodecadiyne-1,12-diol bis[((butoxycarbonyl)methyl)urethane] (4BCMU) displayed a blue-to-red-to-yellow color transition upon heating. Thus, the blue colored 4BCMU-derived polymer was converted to a red colored PDA at 100 °C and further heating to 180 °C resulted in the generation of a yellow colored PDA. Upon cooling to room temperature, the yellow colored PDA became red and a complete colorimetric reversibility was observed between red (30 °C) and yellow (180 °C). The thermally promoted reversible PDA phase transition was successfully applied to a banknote to demonstrate an application to a potential counterfeit prevention method.

An inkjet-printed microfluidic device for liquid–liquid extraction

A microfluidic device for liquid-liquid extraction was quickly produced using an office inkjet printer. An advantage of this method is that normal end users, who are not familiar with microfabrication, can produce their original microfluidic devices by themselves. In this method, the printer draws a line on a hydrophobic and oil repellent surface using hydrophilic ink. This line directs a fluid, such as water or xylene, to form a microchannel along the printed line. Using such channels, liquid-liquid extraction was successfully performed under concurrent and countercurrent flow conditions.

Physical and chemical properties of titanium dioxide printed layers

This study focuses on the preparation of the TiO 2 thin films from alkoxide solutions containing polyethylene glycol (PEG) as an anticracking agent by the sol–gel method on soda–lime glass plates. Sol application was carried out by inkjet printing using a modified office inkjet printer equipped with piezoelectric print head. The grey level of the printed image was varied in order to control the sol loading of the resulting printed pattern. The effect of PEG addition on the precursor and prepared layer properties was studied. Also, the influence of sol loading on physical properties and on photocatalytic activity of the printed layers was investigated. The thickness of prepared layer was studied by NanoCalc 2000 and the structure of prepared layers was evaluated by optical microscopy, AFM and SEM. The hydrophilic properties of TiO 2 thin films were studied by examining the contact angle of water on these films. Photocatalytic activity was investigated as a rate of 2,6-dichloroindophenol (DCIP) decomposition. In all cases, we prepared transparent thin layers of TiO 2 with varying thickness and surface morphology. PEG proved to be an efficient agent suppressing the formation of cracks.

Thin Layers of Photocatalytic TiO2 Prepared by Inkjet Printing of a Sol-gel Precursor

AbstractTransparent thin layers of photocatalytic TiO

Application of Inkjet Printing for Depositing Salt Prior to Atmospheric Corrosion Testing

This study examined the feasibility of using an unmodified office inkjet printer for the precise deposition of soluble salt particles on planar metal samples for atmospheric testing. The density of the salt loading achieved in printing solid swaths ranged from 10 to 180 μg cm ―2 using aqueous 1 and 4 M NaCl solutions with 95% confidence intervals ≤2 μg per print. Printing these solutions on a steel coupon produced particles with a multimodal size distribution and mean Feret diameters ≤11 μm. An application of the method for studying the effect of loading density on the atmospheric corrosion of steel is described.

Microfluidic devices easily created using an office inkjet printer

Although various processes have been used for producing microfluidic devices, many of them are not so simple that ordinary end-users can produce the devices by themselves. However, in this study, microfluidic devices were easily produced using an office inkjet printer. As the components of the device, channels, manifolds, and mixers were created by printing their shapes on glass slides using the printer. A syringe pump could control the flow of fluid through the manifolds and mixers. In addition, resistivity of the device to acidic and basic solutions was tested.

Formation of a Water−Xylene Interface in a Microchannel without Sidewalls

Channels in a microfluidic device were rapidly created using an office inkjet printer. The process was easy enough for common end users to carry it out by themselves. A water-xylene interface was formed by combining two parallel channels that were filled with water and xylene, respectively. Such an interface can be important in analytical and synthetic uses because various chemical processes, such as reaction, extraction, and separation, can be performed through the interface. The water-filled channel was 0.5-1.3 mm wide, and the xylene-filled one was 1.3 mm wide. Both channels were 0.09 mm deep and 20 mm long. The continuous flow of these fluids was successfully carried out using a syringe pump at a volume flow rate of 1 microL/min for 5 min.

Role of Paper Coating Pigments and Additives in Darkfastness of Ink Jet Prints

The article discusses changes that occur when paper samples printed with an office ink jet printer HP 5550 are exposed to elevated temperature and relative humidity without the presence of light for a prolonged time period according to accelerated artificial aging standard EN ISO 5630-3. The effects of paper coating pigment type (pyrogenic silica, precipitated and ground calcium carbonate) and the amounts of binder and dye fixative on print quality and darkfastness are examined. Results show that both color chroma and print density of prints made with the dye-based inks¯cyan, magenta and yellow-on calcium carbonate coatings are higher compared to coatings where silica is used. The opposite is true for the black pigment-based ink where silica clearly outperforms calcium carbonate coating pigments. Accelerated artificial aging deteriorates color vividness much more severely with ground CaCO 3 than with precipitated CaCO 3 coatings, while prints on silica coatings exhibit the highest darkfastness.

Ink-jet fabrication of electronic components

Nanosized metallic particles dispersed in a polymeric matrix have been used conventionally as a paste or ink to print electrically active patterns on different substrates. The potential of ink-jet printing in this field is clearly important but the challenge to date has been how to achieve prints of low volume resistivity from the very low viscosity ink required for ink-jet printing. In this study, ink-jet printing techniques were used to directly deposit metallic conductive patterns to produce wiring boards, antennas, electrodes and so forth. In these methods, aqueous solutions of metal salt and reducing agent were ink-jet printed consecutively onto the substrate, where an immediate chemical reduction transformed the metal cations into very fine metallic particles. The best performing reducing agent for ink-jet metal deposition was found to be ascorbic acid at neutral pH. Using this chemistry, nanosized silver patterns, composed of particles in the size range 10–200 nm, were successfully formed using a standard office ink-jet thermal-head printer. Deposited layers of silver with high electrical conductance up to 1.89 × 105 S m−1 and sheet resistance up to 0.5 Ω/□ were printed whilst higher conductivities might be expected using more appropriate devices.

Quality evaluation of ink-jet paper with principal components analysis

Non-impact printing techniques have in many fields of application replaced traditional printing methods. Apart from factors such as the type and conditions of ink/paper transfer and ink properties, the quality of the image produced with an office ink-jet printer depends decisively on paper characteristics. In this study, various medium- and photo-quality ink-jet paper sorts were examined for their general, optical, surface and printing properties. Based on these results, the ranking of tested paper properties according to their significance for ink-jet paper quality on one hand and the suitability of individual paper sorts for this printing technique on the other was determined using multivariate tool principal components analysis.