Functional Ink Formulation for Printing and Coating of Graphene and Other 2D Materials: Challenges and Solutions

Abstract

The properties of 2D materials are unparalleled when compared to their 3D counterparts; many of these properties are a consequence of their size reduction to only a couple of atomic layers. Metallic, semiconducting, and insulating types can be found and form a platform for a new generation of devices. Among the possible methods to utilize 2D materials, functional printing has emerged as a strong contender because inks can be directly formulated from dispersions obtained by liquid‐phase exfoliation. Printed graphene‐based devices are shifting from laboratory applications toward real‐world and mass‐producible systems going hand in hand with a good understanding of suitable exfoliation methods for the targeted type of ink. Such a clear picture does not yet exist for hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN), the transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and black phosphorous (BP). Rather, reports of applications of these 2D materials in printed devices are scattered throughout the literature, not yet adding to a comprehensive and full understanding of the relevant parameters. This perspective starts with a summary of the most important features of inks from exfoliated graphene. For h‐BN, the TMDs, and BP, the characteristic properties when exfoliated from solution and strategies to formulate inks are summarized.

Keywords

• 2D materials
• exfoliation
• functional inks
• graphene
• printing