Optimization of Graphene Conductive Ink with 73 wt% Graphene Contents.

ABSTRACT

With the pace of development accelerating in printed electronics, the fabrication and application of conductive ink have been brought into sharp focus in recent years. The discovery of graphene also unfolded a vigorous research campaign. In this paper, we prepared graphene conductive ink and explored the feasibility of applying the ink to flexible paper-based circuit. Since experimental study concentrating upon ink formulation was insufficient, orthogonal test design was used in the optimization of preparation formula of conductive ink for the first time. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of constituent dosage on conductivity of graphene conductive ink, so as to obtain the optimized formula and prepare graphene conductive ink with good conductivity. Characterization of optimized graphene conductive ink we fabricated showed good adhesion to substrate and good resistance to acid and water. The graphene concentration of the optimized ink reached 73.17 wt% solid content. Particle size distribution of graphene conductive ink was uniform, which was about 1940 nm. Static surface tension was 28.9 mN/m and equilibrium contact angle was 23°, demonstrating that conductive ink had good wettability. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis was also investigated, moreover, the feasibility of lightening a light-emitting diode (LED) light was verified. The graphene conductive ink with optimized formula can be stored for almost eight months, which had potential applications in flexible paper-based circuit in the future.