Ink synthesis and inkjet printing of manganese electrodes on laser textured aluminium foil: The effect of laser texturing parameters on surface roughness and printability

Inkjet printing of manganese on aluminium provides a cost-effective method for electrode fabrication in sensing and capacitor applications, leveraging aluminium's conductivity and manganese's electrochemical activity. However, existing studies often isolate ink formulation, substrate prepr...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Anesu Nyabadza, Suman Chatterjee, Suganya Pitchai Muthusamy, Sean Ryan, Jesus Inocente Medina Santos, Valeria Nicolosi, Dermot Brabazon, Mercedes Vazquez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Journal of Materials Research and Technology
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S223878542501779X
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Summary:Inkjet printing of manganese on aluminium provides a cost-effective method for electrode fabrication in sensing and capacitor applications, leveraging aluminium's conductivity and manganese's electrochemical activity. However, existing studies often isolate ink formulation, substrate preprocessing, and inkjet printing, overlooking their interdependence. This study integrates all three aspects, using femtosecond laser texturing to enhance surface roughness and improve printability. A full-factorial design optimized laser parameters, achieving a roughness of 8.487 μm–16 times that of pristine aluminium—using a 70 μm hatch spacing, laser energies of 27–36 mJ, and scan speeds of 15–25 mm/s. Manganese ink was synthesised via laser ablation in IPA, producing spherical nanoparticles (64 nm) with a viscosity of 2.86 mPa s. A design of experiments approach determined optimal inkjet printing conditions: 15 kHz jetting frequency, 50 °C print bed, 60 s interlayer delay, and 1270 DPI. This is the first study to integrate laser texturing for printability enhancement with control of ink formulation via laser processing. The process ensured target properties were met during ink formulation, including a specific surface area of ≥30 m2/cm3, at least 90 % of nanoparticle size <100 nm, and viscosity <5 mPa s, all achieved within 65 min of laser ablation.
ISSN:2238-7854