3D-Printing of Freestanding Pure MXene Microarchitectures

Area of Science:

• Materials Science and Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Titanium-based MXenes (Ti3C2Tx) are highly researched for functional components.
• Existing fabrication methods for Ti3C2Tx are limited to 2D patterns or require additives for 3D structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel 3D-printing approach for fabricating complex, additive-free Ti3C2Tx microarchitectures.
• To demonstrate the potential of this method for creating functional 3D electronic components.

Main Methods:

• Development of an additive-free aqueous ink using 0.1 wt.% Ti3C2Tx nanosheets.
• Utilizing a 3D-printing technique where microarchitecture diameter is controlled by pipette opening size and pulling rate.
• Optimization of printing parameters to achieve a minimum feature size of 1.3 µm.

Main Results:

• Successful fabrication of complex 3D Ti3C2Tx microarchitectures, including zigzag, helix, bridge, and pyramid shapes.
• Demonstration of functional 3D electronic components: micro-interconnects, photodetector transducers, and humidity sensor transducers.
• Achieved precise control over the diameter of printed Ti3C2Tx structures.

Conclusions:

• The proposed 3D-printing method offers a facile and scalable route for fabricating complex Ti3C2Tx architectures.
• This technique overcomes limitations of previous methods, enabling additive-free 3D printing of MXenes.
• The approach holds promise for both nano and micro 3D printing applications of Ti3C2Tx materials.