A universal ink made of nanoparticles can 3D print glowing layers that are only seven nanometers thick.
Creating ultra-thin light-emitting structures was previously impossible because different dyes have different chemical solubilities. This new hydrogel nanoparticle ink works with any dye regardless of its chemistry. It allows for the precision printing of fluorescent architectures at a scale nearly a thousand times thinner than a human hair. Engineers can now layer different colors and properties without the chemicals interfering with each other. This technology opens the door to incredibly thin and flexible screens or biological sensors.
Universal Nano-Bead Emitter Inks for Programmable Nanometric Fluorescent Architectures
arXiv · 2604.27726
Fabricating brightly fluorescent layers with nanometric thickness and digitally controlled lateral structuration remains a challenge for next-generation photonic devices, optical calibration standards, and biocompatible interfaces. Here, we introduce Nano-Bead Emitters (NBEs), hydrogel nanoparticles covalently functionalized with fluorophores, as a universal, water-processable ink platform for fabricating programmable nanometric fluorescent architectures. By immobilizing fluorophores within a ch