Additive manufacturing of Zn with submicron resolution and its conversion into Zn/ZnO core–shell structures. Issue 46 (17th November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nydegger, Mirco; Pruška, Adam; Galinski, Henning; Zenobi, Renato; Reiser, Alain; Spolenak, Ralph
• Is Part Of: Nanoscale. Volume 14:Issue 46(2022)
• Page Start: 17418
• Page End: 17427
• Publication Date: 2022-11-17
• Subjects: Nanoscience -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; 620.505
• DOI: 10.1039/d2nr04549d
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2040-3364

Abstract

Abstract : Electrohydrodynamic-redox printing allows deposition of single-crystal-like Zn structures with a resolution of 250 nm, which can be thermally oxidized to Zn/ZnO core–shell structures. Abstract : Electrohydrodynamic redox 3D printing (EHD-RP) is an additive manufacturing (AM) technique with submicron resolution and multi-metal capabilities, offering the possibility to switch chemistry during deposition "on-the-fly". Despite the potential for synthesizing a large range of metals by electrochemical small-scale AM techniques, to date, only Cu and Ag have been reproducibly deposited by EHD-RP. Here, we extend the materials palette available to EHD-RP by using aqueous solvents instead of organic solvents, as used previously. We demonstrate deposition of Cu and Zn from sacrificial anodes immersed in acidic aqueous solvents. Mass spectrometry indicates that the choice of the solvent is important to the deposition of pure Zn. Additionally, we show that the deposited Zn structures, 250 nm in width, can be partially converted into semiconducting ZnO structures by oxidation at 325 °C in air.