Scalable Production and Application of Printable 2D Nanoelectronic Inks

Solution-processed 2D nanoelectronic materials are promising inks for printed applications including flexible electronics, batteries, and sensors. However, the polydisperse nature of nanomaterial dispersions following liquid-phase exfoliation poses manufacturing challenges, as incompletely exfoliated materials must be removed to achieve optimal properties. Incumbent separation schemes invariably rely on centrifugation, which is highly energy-intensive and limits scalable manufacturing. In contrast, this talk will explore cross-flow filtration (CFF) as a centrifuge-free processing method that improves the throughput of nanomaterial separations by orders of magnitude [1]. By tuning membrane pore sizes between microfiltration and ultrafiltration, CFF can also be used for efficient recovery of solvents and stabilizing polymers. In this manner, life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis reveal that CFF leads to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, fossil energy usage, water consumption, and specific production costs. To confirm that CFF produces electronic-grade nanomaterials, the performance of CFF-processed nanoelectronic inks in printed electronic, optoelectronic, and energy technologies will be delineated including photodetectors, optical emitters, supercapacitors, and batteries [2-5].

[1] J. R. Downing, et al., Advanced Materials, 35, 2212042 (2023).
[2] K.-Y. Park, et al., Advanced Materials, 34, 2106402 (2022).
[3] L. Kuo, et al., Advanced Materials, 34, 2203772 (2022).
[4] S. V. Rangnekar, et al., ACS Nano, 17, 17516 (2023).
[5] L. E. Chaney, et al., Advanced Materials, 36, 2305161 (2024).