XPS investigations of ink‐jet printed paper

Different ink‐jet printed paper materials were investigated using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) yielding the elemental composition of the near‐surface region of the papers. We found significant differences with respect to the detected elements and their atomic concentrations in the different inks studied here. Two different groups of inks could be identified by means of a lower ratio of the O and C atomic concentrations and lower concentrations in specific trace elements like Mg, Na and Si. High‐resolution spectra of C 1s and O 1s core levels allowed a detailed determination of the chemical state of the respective elements. On the basis of a detailed deconvolution of these XPS signals, significant differences between all the investigated ink‐jet printed papers were found, thereby allowing their discrimination. The applicability of the measurements and, more generally, the XPS technique for forensic investigations of paper are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Book Reviews

Room temperature glass containing copper nitrate was produced using the microemulsion-gel method. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction spectra were used to demonstrate the presence of copper nitrate in the gel samples. The samples were examined using optical microscopy, with and without polarized filters, and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray analysis, before and after the extraction of the surfactant with an organic solvent. The results indicated that copper nitrate was present throughout the silicate network formed and was associated with the microemulsion components, i.e., the interstitial liquid, remaining in the bulk material.     

A Review of Instrumental Approaches for Studying Historical Inks

In the last 10 years researchers have adapted a number of instrumental techniques for studying various aspects of historical inks that have been used in historical documents. In this paper, the applications of atomic spectroscopy such as GFAAS, ICP-MS, XRF, PIXE, and XANES are described for identifying and quantifying metals that are found in historical inks. Applications of vibrational spectroscopy, primarily Raman and near/mid-IR spectroscopy, are described for detecting organic and inorganic compounds in ink and paper.     

Fabrication of a Simple and Cheap Screen-printed Silver/Silver Chloride (Ag/AgCl) Quasi-reference Electrode

In this work, a silver/silver chloride ink is fabricated using two steps. First the silver ink is prepare using silver, nail polish and acetone. Then the silver ink is painted in a paper substrate and a silver chloride layer is deposited using a bleach solution. The result is the silver/silver chloride conductive ink. The silver ink is cheap ($2.49/g), well-dispersive and very easy to fabricate. The materials were characterized by SEM and XRD. The Ag ink showed the formation of a continuous network throughout the silver ink film with fewer agglomeration. The effective chlorination process was also observed in the Ag/AgCl characterization. Since the Ag/AgCl substrate will be used as a quasi-reference electrode, it is important to investigate the electrical properties. The Ag ink showed an average ohmic resistance of 2.27 Ω. The addition of the AgCl layer decreases the conductivity, as expected. In summary, the Ag/Ag/Cl ink developed is simple, well-dispersed, cheap and with good conductivity. Therefore, it can be used as a conductive ink in the fabrication of quasi-reference electrodes.     

Graphene screen‐printed radio‐frequency identification devices on flexible substrates

Despite the great promise of printed flexible electronics from 2D crystals, and especially graphene, few scalable applications have been reported so far that can be termed roll‐to‐roll compatible. Here we combine screen printed graphene with photonic annealing to realize radio‐frequency identification devices with a reading range of up to 4 meters. Most notably our approach leads to fatigue resistant devices showing less than 1% deterioration of electrical properties after 1000 bending cycles. The bending fatigue resistance demonstrated on a variety of technologically relevant plastic and paper substrates renders the material highly suitable for various printable wearable devices, where repeatable dynamic bending stress is expected during usage. All applied printing and post‐processing methods are compatible with roll‐to‐roll manufacturing and temperature sensitive flexible substrates providing a platform for the scalable manufacturing of mechanically stable and environmentally friendly graphene printed electronics.

     

Stimuli‐Responsive Naphthalene Diimide as Invisible Ink: A Rewritable Fluorescent Platform for Anti‐Counterfeiting

Herein, we report an approach to combat counterfeiting and storage of valuable information based on the solid‐state fluorescence switching behavior of isoniazid functionalized naphthalene diimide (ISO_NDI) in response to an external stimuli (i. e., HCl vapor). The unique feature of ISO_NDI is further utilized to develop an invisible ink (ISO_NDI‐PVA) with commercial polymer polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). A solid‐state fluorescence recovery was observed while loading with HCl vapors. This exclusive property of the material could be applied directly as a security ink for confidential data storage purpose. Based on above strategy, we successfully realized the rewritable application by using ISO_NDI‐PVA ink and confirm its practical efficacy on various substrates by creating different patterns. The solid‐state fluorescence switching behavior of ISO_NDI‐PVA ink exhibited reversible on/off signal for multiple cycles under the influence of HCl/NH₃ vapors. Mechanistic investigation supports a clear participation of intermolecular charge transfer (ICT) phenomenon in the solid‐state fluorescence switching property. The ease of fabricating the ink with invisible to visible characteristics in response to HCl vapors provides new opportunities for exploring the application of ISO_NDI‐PVA as invisible ink for targeted security applications.     

Synthesis and characterization of copper ink and direct printing of copper patterns by inkjet printing for electronic devices

Among the conventional metallic inks used in the printing process, silver exhibits high conductivity and thermal stability. Nevertheless, due to the high cost of silver, it cannot be extensively used for the fabrication of inks. As a competitive alternative, copper can be considered as a substitute for silver; however, copper ink oxidizes under certain atmospheric conditions. To meet these shortcomings, a cost effective, highly conductive, and oxidation-free copper-based ink has been synthesized in this study, wherein, oxidation of the copper particles in the copper-based ink was prevented by using copper complexes. The copper ink thus fabricated was printed on chemically treated Si/SiO₂ substrates followed by the characterization of the printed copper films. The results of this study confirmed that the synthesized copper ink exhibited properties suitable for its use in the inkjet printing process for fabrication of various electronic devices.     

简易法制备高量子产率荧光材料及其应用

选用柠檬酸和三乙烯四胺作为原料,在相对低温下(80 ℃),制备量子产率高达78%的荧光材料。 通过紫外吸收、荧光、傅里叶变换红外光谱仪(FTIR)、核磁共振波谱仪(NMR)等技术手段对该体系进行表征。 结果表明,该荧光材料属于非典型性荧光材料,其强荧光性可能源于体系中大量羰基的聚集。 这种高量子产率材料满足制备隐形墨水的要求,在图案化、防伪和光电子设备等领域具有潜在的应用前景。     

氮掺杂发光碳纳米点的研究探索

采用微波法制备了氮掺杂碳纳米点。通过调控碳纳米点中氮元素的掺杂含量和表面的化学环境,实现了对碳纳米点发光特性的调控。在此基础上,可实现完全基于氮掺杂碳纳米点的荧光墨水、比率型荧光探针及光泵浦激光。研究目的在于探索氮掺杂碳纳米点的发光机理,揭示影响碳纳米点荧光量子效率的因素及其在生物成像、传感、防伪、信息存储、激光等领域的应用。