Low-cost, flexible and thin display technology is becoming an interesting field of research as it can accompany the wide range of sensors being developed. Here, the synthesis of poly(dimethylpropylene-dioxythiophene) (PProDOT-Me2) by combining vapor phase polymerization and screen printing is presented. A multilayer architecture using poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and PProDOT-Me2 to allow for electrochromic switching of PProDOT-Me2, thereby eliminating the need for a supporting transparent conductive (metal oxide) layer is introduced. Furthermore, the technology is adapted to a blended architecture, which removes the additional processing steps and results in improved color contrast (∆E* > 25). This blend architecture is extended to other conductive polymers, such as PEDOT and polypyrrole (PPy), to highlight the ability of the technique to adjust the color of all-printed electrochromic displays. As a result, a green color is obtained when combining the blue and yellow states of PEDOT and PPy, respectively. This technology has the potential to pave the way for all-printed multicolored electrochromic displays for further utilization in printed electronic systems in various Internet of Things applications. © 2022 The Authors. 

A general formulation engineering method is adopted in this study to produce a highly concentrated (≈3 mg mL−1) inkjet printable starch–graphene ink in aqueous media. Photonic annealing of the starch–graphene ink is validated for rapid post-processing of printed films. The experimental results demonstrate the role of starch as dispersing agent for graphene in water and photonic pulse energy in enhancing the electrical properties of the printed graphene patterns, thus leading to an electrical conductivity of ≈2.4 × 104 S m−1. The curing mechanism is discussed based on systematic material studies. The eco-friendly and cost-efficient approach presented in this work is of technical potential for the scalable production and integration of conductive graphene inks for widespread applications in printed and flexible electronics. 

This study illustrates an innovative way to fabricate inkjet-printed tracks by sequential printing of Zn nanoparticle ink and curing ink for low temperature in situ chemical sintering. Employing chemical curing in place of standard sintering methods leads to the advantages of using flexible substrates that may not withstand the high thermal budgets of the standard methods. A general formulation engineering method is adopted to produce highly concentrated Zn ink which is cured by inkjet printing an over-layer of aqueous acetic acid which is the curing agent. The experimental results reveal that a narrow window of acid concentration of curing ink plays a crucial role in determining the electrical properties of the printed Zn nanoparticles. Highly conductive (~105 S m−1) and mechanically flexible printed Zn features are achieved. In addition, from systematic material characterization, we obtain an understanding of the curing mechanism. Finally, a touch sensor circuit is demonstrated involving all-Zn printed conductive tracks. © 2021, The Author(s).