College of Engineering Durcan Scholar Program

Flexible Electrode Ink Formulation for 3D Space Manufacturing Research

DURCAN SCHOLAR PROGRAM
(Undergraduate Research Assistantships)
The College of Engineering invites undergraduate students to apply for the Durcan Scholar Program,
designed to provide an opportunity to interested students to gain knowledge of their discipline and
develop research skills by working on faculty-mentored projects over 12 months. The Program will be
initiated in May 2019 and last through the academic year 2019-20. Award recipients will have an
opportunity to enrich the research experience by attending the academic and professional development
workshops organized by the College and the Office of Undergraduate Research of the University.
Awards:
Each award will be in the amount of $7,500 including a stipend of $5,000 during summer. The total
amount includes a minimum 50% match from the faculty mentor (minimum $2,500). The match must be
in the form of a stipend during the academic year (preferred), travel funds for the student to attend a
conference, or research expenses. Faculty mentors may supplement these awards to cover the cost of
materials and supplies, and other project-related expenses.
 Four student awards available
 Summer research experience and engagement throughout the award period is required. Award
recipients will either register for undergraduate research credits or be employed by the faculty
mentor during the academic year
 Award recipients must fulfill the requirements stated below in the Final Report and Presentation
section
Application Process
Students must submit the following to be considered for the award:
1. Research Proposal, having the following components:
1) Abstract (200 word limit)
2) Project Narrative (3 page limit) consisting of the following sections
i. Introduction, including background and significance of the project
ii. Project Design, including objectives, methods, outline of project schedule
iii. Anticipated Outcomes and Deliverables
iv. Statement of relevance of the proposed research in their career plan
v. Literature/references
2. Curriculum Vita
3. Letter of recommendation from a COE Faculty Advisor indicating willingness to support and
mentor the student through the research project. The letter must outline the mentoring plan and
state a commitment of minimum $2,500 (including budget number) over the program period.
Please visit https://www.uidaho.edu/engr/research/assistantships/durcan for further information and
application submission. Applications must be submitted by March 1, 2019, 5:00 pm Pacific. Awards are
expected to be announced by April 1, 2019.
Final Report and Presentation
A written report consistent with the standards of the discipline of the recipient must be submitted at the
end of the program. Project results must also be disseminated through an oral or poster presentation
either at the annual university-wide Undergraduate Research Symposium in April 2020 or a similar
public forum.
College of Engineering Durcan Scholar Program

Flexible Electrode Ink Formulation for 3D Space Manufacturing Research

Flexible Electrode Ink Formulation for 3D Space Manufacturing

Research Proposal Abstract (200 word limit)

As the US prepares to travel into deep space, one of NASA’s focus is on being able to monitor the vitals
of the astronauts while in space. Of initial importance is to monitor Calcium. Calcium loss is a common
and serious issue in the extended microgravity environments of deep space. 1 By creating wearable
sensors/electrodes-based devices through pre-made sensing carbon inks, we are preparing to send
astronauts to deep space and be able to monitor their vitals, as well as quickly print and reprint their
own devices while in space (3D space manufacturing). The main goals of these inks are to incorporate a
variety of sensing protocols into ink materials for in-space manufacturing. Currently, there is a lack in
transportable printable inks for wearable electrodes. This project is significant as it aims to provide a
convenient, transportable mode for detection of calcium loss during space travel. Additionally, wearable
sensors also have a large established commercial market for consumer health, and it is projected to
grow to $30 billion annually by 2020 2 due to continued advances in electronics, sensing components,
wireless communication hardware, and battery technology. The technology for a commercial printer
that prints sensing tattoos is a projected need.
College of Engineering Durcan Scholar Program

Flexible Electrode Ink Formulation for 3D Space Manufacturing Research

Flexible Electrode Ink Formulation for 3D Space Manufacturing

Research Project Narrative (3 page limit)
i. Introduction, including background and significance of the project

As the US prepares to travel into deep space, one of NASA’s focus is on being able to monitor the vitals
of the astronauts while in space. Of initial importance is to monitor Calcium. Calcium loss is a common
and serious issue in the extended microgravity environments of deep space. 1 Loss of bone mass in deep
space has been recorded to reduce 1-2% of mass per month. By creating wearable sensors/electrodes-
based devices through pre-made sensing carbon inks, we are preparing to send astronauts to deep
space and be able to monitor their vitals, as well as quickly print and reprint their own devices while in
space (3D space manufacturing). Currently, there is a lack in transportable printable inks for wearable
electrodes. The main goal of these inks are to incorporate a variety of sensing protocols into ink
materials for in-space manufacturing. This project is significant as it aims to provide a convenient,
transportable mode for detection of calcium loss during space travel. Additionally, wearable sensors also
have a large established commercial market for consumer health, and it is projected to grow to $30
billion annually by 20202 due to continued advances in electronics, sensing components, wireless
communication hardware, and battery technology. The technology for a commercial printer that print
sensing tattoos is a projected need that easily fits into this market.

Wearable electronics offer new opportunities in a wide range of applications. All natural physiological
processes create biophysical (temperature, biopotential, motion) and biochemical (electrolytes,
metabolites) signals that can be measured and quantified with body-integrated sensors. The resulting
signals are valuable in: developing insights into health status, quantifying human performance, and
establishing communication channels for human/machine control interfaces. The most advanced
noninvasive physiological monitoring systems utilize sophisticated electronic recording hardware with
wired interfaces to sensors that couple to the skin via adhesives.

The printing and integration of sensors with the soft and curvilinear surfaces of the human body
demands careful attention to materials design to ensure seamless, noninvasive interfaces that are
robust during natural movements and associated biological processes. Flexible devices, as defined by
those that can bend in a reversible fashion, with reduced thickness, will require development with
materials such as nanotubes/nanomembranes/nanowires/nanoribbons. The materials, chemistry, and
printability aspects will be essential to continued progress in this area of science and technology.

The project’s goal is to develop inks (by mixing the sensing polymers with the inks or growing the
polymers around the inks) that can be formulated to contain analyte sensing materials and be viscous
enough to print using a commercial inkjet printer, and modify a regular HP or Canon (whichever) style
printer to take out regular ink from their cartridges and add our inks and print them on either
transparency paper or as temporary tattoos.
College of Engineering Durcan Scholar Program

Flexible Electrode Ink Formulation for 3D Space Manufacturing Research

ii. Project Design, including objectives, methods, outline of project schedule

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene have emerged as veritably conductive carbon based materials
that can be printed using multiple techniques and especially ink-jetting methods. 3 Many of these inks
are aqueous or organic formulations and dry quickly and evenly from very low viscosities (1-10 cP).
These materials have also been shown to provide reliable sensing when mixed with ionophores /various
sensing reagents.2 This project proposes to diversify the sensitivity and selectivity of various analytes of
importance towards monitoring proper biological function and for the availability and accuracy of in-
space manufacturing of new electrodes (specifically at the monitoring of analytes through wearable
devices for NASA astronauts on extended missions). As shown below in Figure 1 and in the first phase of
this project, two distinct styles of analyte monitoring will be incorporated: 1) Ionophore-mixed ink
cocktails utilizing known sensing elements with MWCNT based aqueous inks for ink-jet printing (inset);
2) Ionophore-inspired CNT wrapped polymers for direct sensing capabilities. Ionophore mixes will be
tested for printing using both drop-casting methods and ink-jetting. The printer for these inks will be the
FujiFilm Dimatix printer. In the second phase of this project, CNTs will be coated with ionophore-inspired
polymers synthesized in our lab. Starting from iminodiacetic acid 1, the ionophore-inspired methacrylate
5 can be synthesized, which parrots calcium ionophore II. Drop-casting methods will be employed to test
ink viability once functionalized with polymer coatings including initiator coating, and controlled growth
of polymer through Atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). 4 This route is already under
investigation in our lab and has already seen applicable with varying monomers. By coating these CNTs,
the need for mixing sensing cocktail inks is eliminated, making them compact and affordable. To assure
the program that a positive outcome will arise even with insufficient results from the coating of the
CNTs; if coding the CNTs does not give a reliable conductivity measurement, our lab is also skilled in
growing polymers from the surface and added inks. This will allow room to pivot and continue with our
research in a progressive manner.

This project looks to utilize the success from the growth of polymer brushes from poly(dopamine)
wrapped CNTs with various polymers and expand the technology to a variety of analytes for multi-ink
printing on flexible electrodes for multi-use electrode device. This project will vary the polymer for
specific analyte (i.e.: poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) for humidity, boronic acid bearing
methacrylates for glucose, crown ether methacrylates for Na+/K+) controlling the polymer
growth/density/height through varying both initiator concentrations and polymerization conditions.
Currently our CNTs of 50 nm average width grow to 65 nm with polydopamine and ~100 nm following
polymerization of 4 hours based on TEM. These inks are currently being formulated for proper viscosity
for printing while being investigated for calcium sensitivity at a range of ~10 ppm. As Calcium sensing is
tuned, more directed syntheses of sensing monomers would be developed for CNT coatings and for
other carbon-based materials (graphene etc.). The major advantages of this work are: 1) Polymer coated
carbon based conductive inks will not need to be proper formulated but will be pre-made with
ionophore based agents; 2) High degree of functionality and printability for a variety of sensing; 3) easily
printable onto a variety of flexible matrices.
College of Engineering Durcan Scholar Program

Flexible Electrode Ink Formulation for 3D Space Manufacturing Research

iii. Anticipated Outcomes and Deliverables

This project aims to develop and deploy printable polymer coated CNT or carbon-based conductive inks
for incorporation into flexible electrode materials. The ink coatings will contain specific sensing
capabilities built into the polymer matrix, specifically for biological analytes like Calcium, Sodium, and
Potassium ions as well as glucose sensing for real-time monitoring. These inks will be tested on available
flexible electrode technologies from American Semiconductor Inc. for construction of wearable printed
electrode devices to monitor the specific analytes. Ultimately, these inks, when incorporated on
wearable devices, will provide increased sensitivity of analyte through the thickly coated polymeric
ligands as to quickly and cost-effectively prepare manufactured electrode devices.

iv. Statement of relevance of the proposed research in their career plan

I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering, with a minor in Materials Science.
This proposed research is relevant to my career plan because I have always been interested in
combining my knowledge of chemistry, engineering, and materials science to create materials of the
future that enhance technology development. I prefer the direction of preference with my knowledge of
chemistry and engineering to point toward polymer science, textiles, and fibers engineering. With this
research project on my resume and the experience under my belt, this would open doors to larger
companies and more complex projects in the future.
Timeline Summer 2019 Fall 2019 Spring 2020
Engineer device
Redesign Commercial analyzing Print Multisensory
Printers for coated CNTs or contaminants of polymers
Objectives Ionophore inks sweat bodily fluids
Progress towards
Measure conductivity of Adjust concentration chemical
coated CNTs vs. Ionophore per unit area of ink gradients to build
Inks for more clear signal analytes
Dry test Ionophore inks on
polymer base (Aqueous
Coated CNTs Measured Avg. Calcium medium)
width = ~90 nm
College of Engineering Durcan Scholar Program

Flexible Electrode Ink Formulation for 3D Space Manufacturing Research

v. Literature/references

“Carbon Nanotube-Based Ion Selective Sensors for Wearable Applications”

Applied Materials & Interfaces research article
Soumyendu Roy, Moshe David-Pur, and Yael Hanein
American Chemical Society (ACS) Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2017, 9 (40), pp 35169–35177
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b07346
Publication Date (Web): September 19, 2017
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsami.7b07346

“Surface-Initiated ARGET ATRP of Poly(Glycidyl Methacrylate) from Carbon Nanotubes via Bioinspired
Catechol Chemistry for Efficient Adsorption of Uranium Ions”
Yang Song, Gang Ye, Yuexiang Lu, Jing Chen, Jianchen Wang, and Krzysztof Matyjaszewski
American Chemical Society (ACS) Macro Letters, 2016, 5 (3), pp 382–386
DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.6b00099
Publication Date (Web): February 26, 2016
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsmacrolett.6b00099

“The New Wave of Ion-Selective Electrodes”

Ernö PretschLaboratory for Organic Chemistry, ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
Trends in Analytical Chemistry, Vol. 26, No. 1, 2007, pp 46-51
DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2006.10.006
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165993606002317

References:

1. Smith, S. R.; Lovejoy, J. C.; Bray, G. A.; Rood, J.; Most, M. M.; Ryan, D. H., Triiodothyronine
increases calcium loss in a bed rest antigravity model for space flight. Metabolism 2008, 57 (12), 1696-
1703.

2. (a) Evans, G. P.; Buckley, D. J.; Skipper, N. T.; Parkin, I. P., Single-walled carbon nanotube
composite inks for printed gas sensors: enhanced detection of NO2, NH3, EtOH and acetone. Rsc Adv
2014, 4 (93), 51395-51403; (b) Andrews, J. B.; Cao, C. Y.; Brooke, M. A.; Franklin, A. D., Noninvasive
Material Thickness Detection by Aerosol Jet Printed Sensors Enhanced Through Metallic Carbon
Nanotube Ink. Ieee Sens J 2017, 17 (14), 4612-4618.

3. (a) Wang, S. L.; Liu, N. S.; Tao, J. Y.; Yang, C. X.; Liu, W. J.; Shi, Y. L.; Wang, Y. M.; Su, J.; Li, L. Y.;
Gao, Y. H., Inkjet printing of conductive patterns and supercapacitors using a multi-walled carbon
nanotube/Ag nanoparticle based ink. J Mater Chem A 2015, 3 (5), 2407-2413; (b) Tortorich, R. P.; Choi, J.
W., Inkjet Printing of Carbon Nanotubes. Nanomaterials-Basel 2013, 3 (3), 453-468.
College of Engineering Durcan Scholar Program

Flexible Electrode Ink Formulation for 3D Space Manufacturing Research

4. Song, Y.; Ye, G.; Lu, Y. X.; Chen, J.; Wang, J. C.; Matyjaszewski, K., Surface-Initiated ARGET ATRP
of Poly(Glycidyl Methacrylate) from Carbon Nanotubes via Bioinspired Catechol Chemistry for Efficient
Adsorption of Uranium Ions. Acs Macro Lett 2016, 5 (3), 382-386.