Inkjet printing of liquid-exfoliated, highly conducting graphene/poly(3,4 ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) nanosheets for organic electronics
Abstract
In this work, highly dispersive graphene inks are demonstrated by liquid-phase exfoliation of the bulk graphite crystal in the solvent N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP). In order to make the inks suitable for inkjet printing, an avenue to tailor the viscosity of the NMP-based ink has been developed through the addition of the organic additive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). The use of PEDOT:PSS with graphene inks shows the solutions to exhibit high dispersion densities as deciphered through optical absorbance measurements, while the inkjet printed structures themselves show a uniform microstructure and typical resistivity values of approximately 0.26 mΩ m on average with graphene/PEDOT:PSS inks and can be improved further with the modification of ink properties. PEDOT:PSS as a conductive surfactant enhances the electrical conductivity of graphene patterns, and a viscosity of about 12 cP which is ideal for inkjet printing can be achieved by adding a very small amount (0.25 wt. %) of PEDOT:PSS to NMP as compared to higher amounts of nonconductive surfactants like ethyl cellulose needed to obtain similar levels of viscosity. PEDOT:PSS is a workhorse of the organic electronics industry, and this work on graphene/PEDOT:PSS composite inks provides new directions to the organic electronics industry to incorporate two-dimensional layered materials in device platforms.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2017
- Source ID
- 10.1116/1.4982723
Entities
People
- Anupama B. Kaul
- Chandan Biswas
- Jay A. Desai
Organizations
- Army Research Office
- University of Texas at El Paso