Synthesis and characterization of metallic nanoparticles via laser ablation synthesis in solution for inkjet printing application

Conductive inks made of metallic nanoparticles have drawn a lot of interest because of their effectiveness and affordability. Because of the numerous conceivable material combinations and qualities, nanoparticle-based inks facilitate the creation of novel applications. Due to its high thermal conductivity and printability, silver and copper nanoparticle-based ink is one of the conductive inks that is frequently utilized in a variety of applications. The process for producing nanoparticles from solid material by irradiating it while it is immersed in a liquid medium is called pulsed laser ablation in liquid, often referred to as laser ablation synthesis in solution. Using laser ablation synthesis in solution, copper nanoparticles were produced, and the impact of the process parameters was studied using deionized water as a liquid medium by analyzing ultraviolet-visible spectra, mean size, distribution, and viscosity. The findings revealed that the pulse repetition frequency of 50 kHz, scanning speed 1.5 m/s, and ablation time of 30 minutes have resulted in the desired characteristics of copper nanoparticles. The feasibility of producing copper nanoparticles for inkjet printing is established through viscosity measurements. The viscosity within the range of 1.05–2.2 mPa·s was achieved with varying isopropyl alcohol volume fraction. A 0.8 volume fraction of glycerol yielded the highest viscosity value of 9.88 mPa·s, making it suitable for inkjet printing applications.