Printable inks based on layered nanomaterials

Professor Andrea Ferrari and his team in the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge have developed a novel method of producing printable inks based on layered nanomaterials such as graphene. This technology overcomes the issues of current printable inks and can be printed by various methods on flexible substrates.

Printable electronics have to date been limited by the lower electron mobility, and hence operation speed, of organic materials compared to silicon, the production cost, processing requirements and performance of metal or carbon nanoparticle-based inks. Current generation transparent and electrically conductive layers are stiff and brittle and hence limit flexible electronic applications.