Chemistry and Manufacturing Technology of Electronic Ink for Electrophoretic Displays (A Review)

This review examines the state of art in research aimed at the development of electronic paper (electronic ink, e-ink), namely, the general principles to design a colloidal system with desired properties, having sedimentation and aggregate stability, consisting of a dispersed phase (reverse-micellar nanoreactors based on pigments) and a dispersion phase (nonpolar solvent/surfactant). More specifically, the subject matters of the review are: general methods and approaches used in the synthesis and modification of colloidal pigment particles; the electrophoretic properties of various dispersion systems comprising these particles (one-, two-, and three-color e-inks), which depend on the size of modified pigments, their zeta potentials, electrophoretic mobility, the presence of surfactants, dispersants, and emulsifiers; the chemical, physicochemical, and physicomechanical methods for microencapsulation of ink dispersions; and methods for manufacturing electrophoretic cells, including those used in micron-level cell design.