gjmueller: Silver Ballpoint Pen Can Draw...

Silver Ballpoint Pen Can Draw Functional Electronic Circuits on Paper

First mightier than the sword, now mightier than the laser.
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign made a new type of liquid metal ink that stays liquid in a pen, but dries after being applied to paper, wood or another surface. The liquid consists of silver nanoparticles that were reduced in size using acid, and then modified with cellulose so the fluid has a more inky viscosity.

Draw a line, and when it dries, the result is a silver wire that can conduct electricity. Researchers built an LED display with their school’s initials, UIUC, and the lovely sketch below depicting a house and trees. The ink serves as wiring for the LED mounted on the roof of the house, and it’s powered by a five-volt battery connected to the edge of the painting, according to a UI press release…

via gabeweb

Source gabeweb