{"paper_id":"41831f5c-8517-4ad7-aab2-57b8f42e4e3a","body_text":"Sonication-Free Pollen Microgel-Enabled CNT Conductive Inks with 3D/Screen Printability and Layered Self-Assembly | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Sonication-Free Pollen Microgel-Enabled CNT Conductive Inks with 3D/Screen Printability and Layered Self-Assembly Ze Zhao, Changdan Gao, Di Yang, Jingwen Liang, Zongyu Wang, Mingyu Zhao Zhao, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8407023/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Sustainable, high-performance conductive inks are crucial for next-generation wearable electronics. While biopolymer-based dispersants offer renewable and biocompatible routes for stabilizing carbon nanotube (CNT) inks, a critical paradox persists: utilizing molecular biopolymers typically requires energy-intensive extraction, depends on high-power ultrasonication for debundling, and lacks the rheological strength needed for precision extrusion printing. Here, we present a sonication-free strategy utilizing sunflower pollen microgels in their native, soft granular state. Leveraging the pollen’s amphiphilic, spiky architecture, we achieve CNT debundling through mechanically driven colloidal collisions, while a synergistic alginate corona provides electrostatic stabilization. The resulting pollen–alginate–CNT (PAC) inks exhibit rapid thixotropy and high viscoelasticity, enabling high-fidelity 3D extrusion and screen printing. Uniquely, drying induces a layered self-assembly, where microgels collapse into lamellar architectures to form anisotropic conductive networks. These structural features unlock multifunctional performance, including humidity sensing via interlayer-spacing modulation, direction-dependent strain sensing, and outstanding electromagnetic interference shielding. This work establishes a scalable, energy-efficient particulate-stabilizer framework that overcomes the processing and rheological limitations of conventional bio-based inks, advancing sustainable, adaptive printed electronic systems. Physical sciences/Materials science/Soft materials Physical sciences/Chemistry/Polymer chemistry/Biopolymers Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SupplementVideo1.Thevideodemonstratingjammedmicrogelenabledhighviscosityandprintability.mp4 Supplement Video 1 SupplementVideo2.ThevideodocumentingtheelectromagneticshieldingeffectofPollenXCNTfilms.mp4 Supplement Video 2 SupportingInformtion.docx Supporting Informtion Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. 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