Hydrogel-Based Conductive Inks for the Additive Printing of Biodegradable Radiofrequency Electronic Circuits

Abstract

Biodegradable hydrogel-based conductive inks, with application in additive circuit manufacturing, are synthesized from agarose, sodium alginate and functional carbon-based particles (carbon nanotubes and graphite). Rheological measurements are conducted to evaluate the printing performance of each ink. The synthesized functional inks are printed, and their conductivity properties are evaluated as a function of the functional material concentration. Promising conductivity values are achieved, demonstrating their potential application for low-cost and low-environmental-impact circuital and electromagnetic designs.