Direct Patterning on Porous Surface Using Drop Impact Printing

This work reports the direct printing of highly concentrated nanoparticle inks on porous surfaces using a simple, low-cost sieve-based technique. The formulated ink has a seven-fold higher concentration as compared to conventional printer inks. On porous surfaces, highly concentrated ink reduces drop spreading by ~ 33% and penetration by ~ 55%. Printing such high-concentration inks exhibits extremely high conductivity of 3.7 x 10
³
S/m for a single pass print. This work demonstrates novel high-conductive printing possibilities on porous surfaces for developing flexible/wearable sensors and electronic applications. The technique further removes the constraints in ink palettes and substrate dependency.