Inkjet printing of poly(phenylenevinylene)-based fluorophores using an environmentally friendly approach

Hydrophobic poly(phenylenevinylene) fluorophores are highly luminescent materials that can be solubilized and stabilized by surfactants in polar environments. In this way, ethanolic solutions of these compounds were prepared using Brij® 35 and found to remain stable for more than two weeks. These solutions were subsequently to be compatible with the polymeric components of a customized inkjet printing system. Thus, thin films could be manufactured on several substrate materials and their structural features compared to those obtained using other traditional methods. Inkjet printing maintained the excellent optical properties of the fluorophores and provided much higher quality and homogeneity than spin-coating and drop-cast deposition. It also maximized material coverage, minimized waste disposal, and used eco-friendly inks along with commercially available low-cost cartridges, while allowing excellent control over the pattern to be printed.