Fiber‐Optic Photoacoustic Generator Realized by Inkjet‐Printing of CNT‐PDMS Composites on Fiber End Faces

• DOI: 10.1002/mame.202000563
• Publication Date: 2020-11-16T09:03:59Z
• Authors: Patrick Oser; Johannes Jehn; Michael Kaiser; Oliver Düttmann; Fabian Schmid; Levin Schulte‐Spe...; Sergio Sánchez Rivas; Constanze Eulenkamp; Christina Schindler; Christian U. Grosse; Datong Wu
• Keywords: Polydimethylsiloxane

Abstract In recent years, photoacoustic generators based on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) are manufactured in a variety of ways, which influences the properties with respect to frequency bandwidth, sound wave pressure, robustness, reproducibility. Due high optical absorption MWCNTs thermal expansion coefficient PDMS, this combination is ideally suited for use as generator. This study presents novel method produce long‐term stable MWCNT PDMS inks reproducibility by means inkjet‐printing. The MWCNT‐PDMS layers (thicknesses 2–4 µm), printed directly onto distal end face multimode glass fiber, show good homogeneity low transmission (19–21%). After preparation fiber pieces, inkjet printer performs all steps automatically time period 30–60 s per layer. generated ultrasonic pressure (0.39–0.54 MPa) bandwidth (1.5–12.7 MHz) can be measured at distance ≈4 mm laser fluency 12.7 mJ cm −2 . These highly reproducible well used nondestructive material testing medical applications.