Direct ink writing of shear exfoliated two-dimensional nanomaterial- elastomeric multifunctional nanocomposite

Bin Abdus Salam, Md Abdur Rahman; Ridoy, Asif Hasan; Haque, A K. M. Abirul; Rafique, Muhammad Shahbaz; Hossain, Md Arafat; Forhad, Md Shahriar; Boebinger, Matthew G.; Ahmed, Farid; Schwab, Kristopher; Ferdous, Sheikh Fahad; Lozano, Karen; Ashraf, Ali

doi:10.1016/j.mtcomm.2025.114461

Direct ink writing of shear exfoliated two-dimensional nanomaterial- elastomeric multifunctional nanocomposite

Journal Article · Sat Dec 06 00:00:00 EST 2025 · Materials Today Communications

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtcomm.2025.114461· OSTI ID:3009410

Bin Abdus Salam, Md Abdur Rahman ^[1]; Ridoy, Asif Hasan ^[2]; Haque, A K. M. Abirul ^[2]; Rafique, Muhammad Shahbaz ^[2]; Hossain, Md Arafat ^[3]; Forhad, Md Shahriar ^[3]; ^[4]; Ahmed, Farid ^[3]; Schwab, Kristopher ^[5]; Ferdous, Sheikh Fahad ^[1]; Lozano, Karen ^[6]; Ashraf, Ali ^[2]

Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA (United States)
University of South Florida, Tampa, FL (United States)
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX (United States)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS)
Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN (United States)
Rice University, Houston, TX (United States)

Direct ink writing (DIW) of polymer nanocomposites with high loadings of two-dimensional (2D) nanofillers (graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN)) is challenging because of potential clogging, use of hazardous solvents, and agglomeration. Here, in this work, a shear exfoliation and sieving method to prepare DIW ink with high loading of nanofillers produced from low-cost bulk layered materials such as graphite and bulk hBN powder for successful DIW printing without the use of any solvents, binders, or plasticizers. The single-step exfoliation technique resulted in a composite with substantial layer reduction along the c-axis, as confirmed by SEM, TEM, XRD, and Raman analysis. Incorporating exfoliated graphene (40 wt%) increased viscosity by ∼6 orders of magnitude due to enhanced particle–matrix interactions, leading to pronounced yield stress behavior and a yield stress of approximately 1598 Pa, which enabled excellent shape retention during extrusion. Using the DIW technique, porous structures such as desalination membranes, self-sensing bone scaffolds, thermal management coating, and serpentine strain sensors were fabricated. When tested in a direct contact membrane distillation setup, the fabricated membrane demonstrated a promising permeate flux of 21.85 Lm⁻²h⁻¹ and a salt rejection of 74.3 %. The fabricated serpentine sensor exhibited stable signal variations under cyclic tensile loading, with a working range of 0–200 % strain and a maximum gauge factor of 43,735. A cell culture test using the printed bone scaffold demonstrated promising cell attachment and proliferation. The DIW printed hBN nanocomposite exhibited reversible shape change under heat, demonstrating potential 4D printing capability and efficient thermal management when exposed to high heat or flame.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725

OSTI ID:: 3009410

Journal Information:: Materials Today Communications, Journal Name: Materials Today Communications Vol. 50; ISSN 2352-4928

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Desalination
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