Bio-inspired ceramics, that can overcome the brittleness of ceramics, require building blocks with thickness of a few hundred nanometers. It is extremely challenging to precisely fabricate the building blocks for the bio-inspired ceramics. In this paper, we demonstrate the processing of dense mullite nano-ribbons, using the sol–gel inkjet printing method with post-heat treatment. These nano-ribbons had precisely controllable dimensions of sub-micrometer thickness and width of a few hundred of micrometers. A novel single-phase ink from the water-based mullite sol–gel precursor was developed that ensured inkjet printability and low-temperature formation of pure mullite phase. One of the greatest challenges was how to achieve uniform track from such inks, because the sol–gel inks had non-zero receding contact angles with the substrate. According to previous theoretical studies, the ink track would eventually become discrete beads. However, we found that solvent-evaporation-induced gelation played an important role in the stability of the printed lines. Taking advantage of the solvent evaporation and sol–gel transition upon substrate heating, we were able to print stable and continuous gel lines. After firing these printed lines at 1000 °C, the pure mullite phase without any undesirable intermediate phases was achieved. The printed lines and dots retained their shapes during firing. It is shown that the crack-free mullite nano-ribbons of the thickness ranging between ~90 and ~200 nm can be printed directly on substrates.

可以克服陶瓷脆性的生物启发陶瓷，需要厚度为几百纳米的积木。精确地制造用于生物启发的陶瓷的构件是极具挑战性的。在本文中，我们演示了使用溶胶-凝胶喷墨印刷方法和后热处理的致密莫来石纳米带加工方法。这些纳米带具有亚微米厚度和数百微米宽度的可精确控制的尺寸。开发了一种新型水基莫来石溶胶-凝胶前体单相油墨，可确保喷墨打印性和低温形成纯莫来石相。最大的挑战之一是如何从此类油墨中获得均匀的轨迹，因为溶胶凝胶油墨与基材的后退接触角不为零。根据以前的理论研究，墨迹最终将变成离散的珠子。但是，我们发现溶剂蒸发诱导的胶凝作用在印刷线路的稳定性中起着重要作用。利用底物加热时溶剂蒸发和溶胶-凝胶转变的优势，我们能够印刷稳定且连续的凝胶线。在1000℃下烧制这些印刷线之后，获得了纯莫来石相，而没有任何不希望的中间相。印刷过程中，印刷的线条和点保持其形状。结果表明，厚度在〜90至〜200 nm之间的无裂纹莫来石纳米带可以直接印在基材上。我们发现溶剂蒸发诱导的胶凝作用在印刷线路的稳定性中起着重要作用。利用底物加热时溶剂蒸发和溶胶-凝胶转变的优势，我们能够印刷稳定且连续的凝胶线。在1000℃下烧制这些印刷线之后，获得了纯莫来石相，而没有任何不希望的中间相。印刷过程中，印刷的线条和点保持其形状。结果表明，厚度在〜90至〜200 nm之间的无裂纹莫来石纳米带可以直接印在基材上。我们发现溶剂蒸发诱导的胶凝作用在印刷线路的稳定性中起着重要作用。利用底物加热时溶剂蒸发和溶胶-凝胶转变的优势，我们能够印刷稳定且连续的凝胶线。在1000℃下烧制这些印刷线之后，获得了纯莫来石相，而没有任何不希望的中间相。印刷过程中，印刷的线条和点保持其形状。结果表明，厚度在〜90至〜200 nm之间的无裂纹莫来石纳米带可以直接印在基材上。获得了纯莫来石相而没有任何不希望的中间相。印刷过程中，印刷的线条和点保持其形状。结果表明，厚度在〜90至〜200 nm之间的无裂纹莫来石纳米带可以直接印在基材上。获得了纯莫来石相而没有任何不希望的中间相。印刷过程中，印刷的线条和点保持其形状。结果表明，厚度在〜90至〜200 nm之间的无裂纹莫来石纳米带可以直接印在基材上。