The work aims to propose a strategy of constructing additive-free aqueous screen-printed conductive ink with the sediment from the MXene preparation process, so as to enhance the utilization rate of MXene materials and verify its feasibility for flexible circuit applications in smart packaging. Ti3C2Tx MXene was prepared by in-situ etching with HCl/LiF, followed by directly taking the separated sediment after oscillation and centrifugation as the main component of the ink. The resulting ink was systematically characterized for its rheological behavior, film-forming quality, and electrical conductivity and was then screen-printed onto substrates such as PET to fabricate a passive NFC flexible label, the reading/writing performance and operational stability of which were evaluated. The ink exhibited a low-shear apparent viscosity of approximately 4 800 mPa·s and distinct shear-thinning behavior, meeting the requirements for the screen-printing process. It formed sharp-edged, dense, and continuous patterns on PC, PET, and A4 paper, achieving a minimum sheet resistance of 6.5 Ω/□. A passive NFC coil fabricated with this ink demonstrated a single-print resistance of about 28.6 Ω, a smartphone reading distance of approximately 12 mm, a response delay of less than 30 ms, and stable read/write functionality. AFM measurements revealed a flake thickness of about 1.5 nm, while the low-angle shift of the XRD(002) peak confirmed an increased interlayer spacing and the successful formation of the MXene structure. The MXene sediment can be directly used as the functional component in additive-free aqueous screen-printed inks, possessing desirable rheology and high conductivity. This approach enables the creation of low-sheet-resistance patterns on various packaging substrates, capable of reliably powering passive NFC devices. This success demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed strategy for applications in smart packaging identification and interaction, offering a scalable new pathway for the valorization of MXene by-products and the advancement of green printed electronics.
Key words
MXene sediment /
additive-free ink /
screen-printing /
smart packaging /
NFC label
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