Multifunctional reactive inks, methods of use and manufacture thereof

1. A material, comprising

a plurality of particles;

a solvent system; and

one or more stabilizing agents,

wherein the particles are configured to complete a self-propagating and/or self-sustaining reaction upon initiation thereof, and

wherein the solvent system and the one or more stabilizing agents are present in an amount effective to make the material structurally self-supporting during deposition of the material onto a substrate and prior to initiation of the self-propagating and/or self-sustaining reaction.

2. The material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the effective amount of the one or more stabilizing agents and the solvent system comprises a predetermined volumetric ratio of attractive particles to repulsive particles.

3. The material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the material is formed into a self-supporting structure upon the deposition, and

wherein the self-supporting structure is configured to form a reacted product upon completion of the self-propagating and/or self-sustaining reaction.

4. The material as recited in claim 3 , wherein the reacted product is one of a cermet, an alloy, and a glass.

5. The material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more stabilizing agents comprise polyethyleneimine.

6. The material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the material comprises at least a ternary order mixture of the particles, and

wherein the particles comprise a combination of particles of materials selected from a group consisting of: a combination of aluminum and nickel, a combination of titanium and nickel, and combination of boron carbide and titanium.

7. The material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the solvent system comprises at least one solvent selected from water, methanol, ethanol, and acetonitrile,

wherein the material is further configured to form a reacted product upon completion of the self-propagating and/or self-sustaining reaction;

wherein the particles comprise a combination of particles of materials selected from a group consisting of: a combination of aluminum and nickel, a combination of titanium and nickel, and combination of boron carbide and titanium;

wherein the one or more stabilizing agents comprise at least one of an acid, a base, an electrolyte and a salt; and

wherein the one or more stabilizing agents comprise at least one of: polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polyethylene glycol (PEG), citric acid, polyacrylic acid, sodium polyacrylate, and ammonium polymethacrylate.

8. The material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the one or more stabilizing agents are configured to prevent the particles from forming aggregates prior to the self-propagating and/or self-sustaining reaction, and

wherein the one or more stabilizing agents are present in an amount between 0 vol % and about 1.0 vol %.

9. The material as recited in claim 8 , wherein the one or more stabilizing agents comprise polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP).

10. The material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the particles are coated with a stearic coating configured to prevent aggregation of the particles by manipulating electrostatic interactions between the particles.

11. The material as recited in claim 1 , further comprising a humectant.

12. The material as recited in claim 1 , further comprising an adhesion agent comprising silver nanoparticles, wherein the adhesion agent is configured to facilitate one or more of:

adhesion of the material to a substrate; and

adhesion of a plurality of layers of the material to one another during the self-propagating and/or self-sustaining reaction.

13. The material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles are disposed in a matrix of liquid metal.

14. The material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the particles are present in an amount ranging from about 30 vol % to about 80 vol %.

15. The material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the material is formed into a structure comprising a plurality of layers of the material,

wherein each of the layers is structurally self-supporting prior to initiation of the self-propagating and/or self-sustaining reaction, and

wherein at least one of the layers is configured as a bridge spanning a gap between the at least one layer and a substrate, such that the bridge is not supported in the gap, and

wherein the bridge is structurally self-supporting after forming the structure and prior to initiating the self-propagating and/or self-sustaining reaction.

16. The material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the material is configured to complete the self-propagating and/or self-sustaining reaction in an oxygen-free environment.

17. The material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the material is configured to complete the self-propagating and/or self-sustaining reaction in an aqueous environment.

18. The material as recited in claim 1 , wherein the material is conductive upon completion of the self-sustaining and/or self-propagating reaction.

19. A system comprising:

a three-dimensional positioning apparatus;

a reservoir having the material as recited in claim 1 stored therein; and

a nozzle coupled to:

the reservoir via one or more fluidic channels; and

the three-dimensional positioning apparatus,

wherein the nozzle comprises an orifice having a diameter at least approximately two orders of magnitude larger than a diameter of a largest of the particles in the material.

20. A system, comprising:

a substrate; and

the material as recited in claim 1 deposited on the substrate in a predetermined pattern;

wherein the material is nonconductive prior to initiating the self-sustaining and/or self-propagating reaction, and

wherein the pattern defines a conductive path after completion of the self-sustaining and/or self-propagating reaction.

21. A method, comprising:

dispersing a plurality of particles in a solution comprising a solvent system to form a dispersion;

adding a stabilizing agent to the dispersion in an amount sufficient to cause the dispersion to exhibit one or more predetermined rheological properties; and

depositing the dispersion onto a substrate to form a structurally self-supporting monolith having a filamentary geometry substantially similar to a filamentary geometry of the dispersion,

wherein the particles are configured to complete a self-propagating and/or self-sustaining reaction upon initiation thereof; and

wherein the solvent system and the one or more stabilizing agents are present in an amount effective to make the dispersion structurally self-supporting during deposition of the dispersion onto the substrate and prior to initiation of the self-propagating and/or self-sustaining reaction.

22. A method, comprising depositing a material on a substrate, the material comprising:

a plurality of particles configured to complete a self-propagating and/or self-sustaining reaction upon initiation thereof;

a solvent system; and

one or more stabilizing agents; and

wherein the solvent system and the one or more stabilizing agents are present in an amount effective to make the material structurally self-supporting during deposition of the material onto a substrate and prior to initiation of the self-propagating and/or self-sustaining reaction.