3D-Printed Supramolecular Eutectogels - Tunable Conductive Wires for Soft Electric Circuits

Supramolecular eutectogels based on 1,3:2,4-dibenzylidenesorbitol (DBS) derivatives as low-molecular-weight gelators (LMWGs) are 3D-printed via wet-spinning. Solubility and assembly kinetics play key roles in LMWG printability in a deep eutectic solvent (DES), a process facilitated by the addition of water. On drying, the printed gels lose some water content, reaching a stable composition for optimal, reproducible electronic properties. The printed supramolecular eutectogels have high conductivities of ca. 5.0 mS/cm, enabling them to be used as soft conductive wires in simple electronic circuits. Furthermore, depending on LMWG structure, they can be selectively reacted with Au(III) and loaded with gold nanoparticles, demonstrating the tunability of this supramolecular approach at the molecular scale. The ability to print functional conductive gels with curved and flexible structures indicates the potential of LMWG eutectogels in the fabrication of soft electronic circuitry with future applications in bionanoelectronics.