The Electrodeposition Pen (RET Project)

Mentors

Jörg Werner*

Assistant Professor (ME, MSE)

Project Description

This summer internship project will design, build, and test a handheld electrodeposition “pen” capable of writing micro-to-millimeter scale metallic and polymeric traces as simple patterns directly onto conductive substrates such as metal foils and surfaces. The writing is done through electrochemical deposition from an electrolytic solution, the “ink”, while the pen and metallic surface form a closed electrochemical circuit. The project combines basic electrochemistry, electric circuits, material selection, technical product design, and 3D printing to create and characterize a prototype device. The project emphasizes quantitative characterization of electrochemical characteristics and feature sizes of the electrodeposition, as well as device prototyping for an intuitive pedagogic demonstration on how electricity drives chemistry that, in turn, results in material creation.

Research Goals

Learning Goals

Timeline

Weeks 1: Design and 3D-printing of components
Weeks 2: Assembly, testing, and optimization of pen design
Weeks 3: Electrodeposition of metal patterns and quantitative electrochemical analysis
Week 4: Electrodeposition of polymer patterns and quantitative electrochemical analysis
Weeks 5: Surface analysis of metal and polymer patterns
Weeks 6: Buffer time and wrap-up documentation