Low-cost 3D-printing system for the deposition of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) thin films by dip-coating with application for electrode fabrication

Abstract A low-cost 3D-printing system is reported for the deposition of thin films by a dip-coating technique. The structure was constructed using 3D-printed pieces of polylactic acid (PLA) joined by simple snap-fit. This structure assembly and design simplifies the construction and replicability of dip-coating equipment. The components used are affordable and accessible, reducing the cost of implementation. An Arduino controls the system through a C++ program that varies the pulling and dipping speed from 0.5 to 20 mm/s. The pulling and dipping process uses a servomotor motion transformed into linear by a rack and pinion mechanism. The performance of the presented system was validated by comparison of thin-film reduced graphene oxide (rGO) deposition onto gold. The rGO thin films obtained were homogeneous and smooth, capable of being used as electrodes in biosensors.