Development of a Gold Nanoparticle Dispersion for Plasma Jet Printing on Solid Substrates.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Surface Engineering

Background:

• Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are crucial for advanced electronics and functional materials.
• Developing stable and printable AuNP dispersions is essential for fabricating microelectronic devices.
• Ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP) and plasma jet printing offer promising routes for nanoparticle synthesis and deposition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using ultrasonic spray pyrolysis (USP).
• To evaluate the suitability of AuNP dispersions for plasma jet printing on ceramic substrates.
• To investigate the morphology, stability, and printability of AuNPs for potential electronic applications.

Main Methods:

• Gold nanoparticles were synthesized via USP with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) stabilization, followed by lyophilisation and redispersion.
• Characterization included ICP-OES, SEM, TEM, SAED, STEM/EDS, UV-Vis, DLS, viscosity, and roughness measurements.
• Plasma jet printing was employed to deposit the AuNP dispersion onto aluminum oxide (Al2O3) ceramic substrates.

Main Results:

• Characterization confirmed spherical AuNPs with consistent gold content and minimal aggregation.
• TEM, SAED, and STEM/EDS verified the crystalline structure and elemental composition of the AuNPs.
• The AuNP dispersion exhibited thixotropic behavior, and plasma printing resulted in smooth, uniform lines with an average roughness of 1.65 µm.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully synthesized and characterized AuNPs suitable for printing applications.
• Plasma jet printing demonstrated effective deposition of AuNPs onto ceramic substrates.
• The findings highlight the potential of AuNP dispersions and plasma printing for functional electronic materials.