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Screen-printed interdigitated microelectrodes employment in dielectrophoretic manipulation of MWCNTs

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Abstract

As key enablers of Industry 4.0 and Internet of Things, sensors are among the first devices which are to encounter fast physical transformation (from rigid to flexible) as of large-scale utilization of printing technologies. In order to step-up this process, adaptation of conventional fabrication technologies (based on metallization) employed in sensors’ development should be tested and demonstrated. Within this paper, we are reporting the functionality of dielectrophoresis (DEP) for electromanipulation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as sensing element, at the level of printed interdigitated electrodes. First, we present the flatbed screen-printed process of interdigitated microelectrodes on flexible substrate with tailored geometries employed afterwards for generating convenient dielectrophoretic forces of optimal magnitude and frequency for trap** MWCNTs. Successful dielectrophoresis operability of MWCNTs across silver-based screen-printed μIDE (interdigitated microelectrodes) provided with electrode gaps of ≈ 150 μm was validated and suitable values of the signal frequencies for avoiding parasitic electrokinetic phenomena (AC electro-osmosis, electrothermal effect) occurring simultaneously with DEP were identified. Time-dependent effect of DEP over MWCNTs bridges formation is discussed, as well as voltage magnitude contribution.

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Data Availability

Data sets generated during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

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Acknowledgements

This study is supported by a grant of the Romanian Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization, CNCS—UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2021-0751, within PNCDI III.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electrical Measurements and Materials, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi, 21-23 Profesor Dimitrie Mangeron Blvd., 700050, Iasi, Romania

    Marius Andrei Olariu, Tudor Alexandru Filip & Ina Turcan

  2. Department of Natural and Synthetic Polymers, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Protection, Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, 71, Prof. Dr. Docent Dimitrie Mangeron Street, 700050, Iasi, Romania

    Catalina Anisoara Peptu

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Correspondence to Ina Turcan.

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Olariu, M.A., Filip, T.A., Peptu, C.A. et al. Screen-printed interdigitated microelectrodes employment in dielectrophoretic manipulation of MWCNTs. Microchim Acta 190, 453 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00604-023-06023-3

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