Titanium Dioxide Nanomaterial Ink Production Through Laser Ablation Synthesis in Solution for Printed Electronics Applications.

Flexible and printed electronics have become increasingly popular as they make possible the production of flexible, low-cost, multifunction devices that are unachievable through traditional manufacturing methods. The printed films are significantly impacted and thus limited by the existing ink production process. Herein, an alternate technique of generating high-quality titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticle ink compatible with aerosol jet printing using laser ablation synthesis in solution (LASiS) is showcased. Dynamic light scattering data and transmission electron microscopy confirm the particle size distribution. UV-vis measurements are performed, and the Beer-Lambert relationship is used to determine the concentration of the generated ink. The inks generated at two different repetition rates are compared: 200 kHz and 1 MHz. X-Ray diffraction analysis of the aerosol jet printed thin film post-thermal sintering confirms the grain size and phase purity of the printed thin films. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of the LASiS technique in producing printable nanoparticle inks with little-to-no postprocessing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]