SBIR Phase I: Graphene Conductive Inks for Flexible Printed Electronics

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop high-performance conductive inks based on graphene technology for the printed electronics industry. Emerging printed electronics market applications require stringent flexibility and conductivity of conductive inks. Components printed with existing conductive inks are challenged by repeated flexing cycles that can break the conductive paths. In this project, a graphene-based ink will be engineered for the combination of electrical, mechanical, and environmental durability properties specified for the flexible printed electronics markets. The effects of different formulation chemistries will be studied to maximize the mechanical flexibility and creasing performance, without detrimentally affecting the electrical conductivity of graphene-based inks. The broader/commercial impact of this project will be the potential to provide conductive inks that overcome the performance barriers that currently limit next generation printed electronics applications. The printed electronics market is growing across multiple sectors driven by following applications: radio frequency identification (RFID) tags for tracking inventory, smart packaging for anti-theft and anti-tampering purposes, smart cards and printed displays. The new conductive inks are expected to provide superior mechanical robustness, flexibility and enhanced interfacial adhesion to improve lifetime and performance of printed electronics. Furthermore, this technology will eliminate the sintering step of current conductive inks and allow manufacturers to print on low-cost substrates that could not otherwise survive sintering.