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This study describes a conductive ink formulation that exploits electrochemical sintering of Zn microparticles in aqueous solutions at room temperature. This material system has relevance to emerging classes of biologically and environmentally degradable electronic devices. The sintering process involves dissolution of a surface passivation layer of zinc oxide in CH3 COOH/H2 O and subsequent self-exchange of Zn and Zn2+ at the Zn/H2 O interface. The chemical specificity associated with the Zn metal and the CH3 COOH/H2 O solution is critically important, as revealed by studies of other material combinations. The resulting electrochemistry establishes the basis for a remarkably simple procedure for printing highly conductive (3 × 105 S m-1 ) features in degradable materials at ambient conditions over large areas, with key advantages over strategies based on liquid phase (fusion) sintering that requires both oxide-free metal surfaces and high temperature conditions. Demonstrations include printed magnetic loop antennas for near-field communication devices.
Lee et al. (Mon,) studied this question.