Direct ink writing of shear exfoliated two-dimensional nanomaterial- elastomeric multifunctional nanocomposite

Authors

Md Abdur Rahman Bin Abdus Salam
Asif Hasan Ridoy
A K M Abirul Haque
Muhammad Shahbaz Rafique
Md Arafat Hossain, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Md Shahriar Forhad, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Matthew G. Boebinger
Farid Ahmed, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Karen Lozano, Rice University
Ali Ashraf, University of South Florida

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-2026

Abstract

Direct ink writing (DIW) of polymer nanocomposites with high loadings of two-dimensional (2D) nanofillers (graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN)) is challenging because of potential clogging, use of hazardous solvents, and agglomeration. Here, in this work, a shear exfoliation and sieving method to prepare DIW ink with high loading of nanofillers produced from low-cost bulk layered materials such as graphite and bulk hBN powder for successful DIW printing without the use of any solvents, binders, or plasticizers. The single-step exfoliation technique resulted in a composite with substantial layer reduction along the c-axis, as confirmed by SEM, TEM, XRD, and Raman analysis. Incorporating exfoliated graphene (40 wt%) increased viscosity by ∼6 orders of magnitude due to enhanced particle–matrix interactions, leading to pronounced yield stress behavior and a yield stress of approximately 1598 Pa, which enabled excellent shape retention during extrusion. Using the DIW technique, porous structures such as desalination membranes, self-sensing bone scaffolds, thermal management coating, and serpentine strain sensors were fabricated. When tested in a direct contact membrane distillation setup, the fabricated membrane demonstrated a promising permeate flux of 21.85 Lm−2h−1 and a salt rejection of 74.3 %. The fabricated serpentine sensor exhibited stable signal variations under cyclic tensile loading, with a working range of 0–200 % strain and a maximum gauge factor of 43,735. A cell culture test using the printed bone scaffold demonstrated promising cell attachment and proliferation. The DIW printed hBN nanocomposite exhibited reversible shape change under heat, demonstrating potential 4D printing capability and efficient thermal management when exposed to high heat or flame.

Comments

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Recommended Citation

Salam, Md Abdur Rahman Bin Abdus, Asif Hasan Ridoy, AKM Abirul Haque, Muhammad Shahbaz Rafique, Md Arafat Hossain, Md Shahriar Forhad, Matthew G. Boebinger et al. "Direct ink writing of shear exfoliated two-dimensional nanomaterial-elastomeric multifunctional nanocomposite." Materials Today Communications (2025): 114461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtcomm.2025.114461

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Publication Title

Materials Today Communications

DOI

10.1016/j.mtcomm.2025.114461