Printing single-walled carbon nanotube/Nafion composites by direct writing techniques

Preparation of inks with proper rheological performance is the key for extrusion-based direct writing. Nafion solutions with tailored rheological properties have been developed for direct writing. By optimizing the printing parameters (air pressure, scanning speed, and temperature), an average Nafion line precision as low as 0.4 mm can be achieved. The Nafion structures retain their toughness after printing by subjecting them to tailored heat treatment of 120 degrees C in vacuum. Nafion and single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) inks were printed to construct a SWCNT/Nafion composite. The composites act as a pressure sensor with sensitivity of 5.95 mV/N, which is feasible for the printing process. This technique shows the possibility of developing custom complex SWCNT/Nafion structures that can be used in a wide range of fields, such as micro-robotics, biomedicine, and medical science. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.