Direct 3D Printing of Hybrid Nanofiber-Based Nanocomposites for Highly Conductive and Shape Memory Applications.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing with conductive polymer nanocomposites provides an attractive strategy for the "on-demand" fabrication of electrical devices. This paper demonstrates a family of highly conductive multimaterial composites that can be directly printed into ready-to-use multifunctional electrical devices using a flexible solvent-cast 3D printing technique. The new material design leverages the high aspect ratio and low contact resistance of the hybrid silver-coated carbon nanofibers (Ag@CNFs) with the excellent 3D printability of the thermoplastic polymer.