Highly Flexible and Conductive Printed Graphene for Wireless Wearable Communications Applications

TLDR

The study reports highly conductive, flexible, lightweight, and low‑cost printed graphene for wireless wearable communications. The authors designed, fabricated, and characterized printed graphene transmission lines and antennas on paper substrates, and experimentally examined their performance under various bending conditions. Measurements show printed graphene can transmit, radiate, and receive RF signals, can be processed at low temperature compatible with heat‑sensitive flexible materials, and advances the development of low‑cost, environmentally friendly wireless wearable communication systems.

Abstract

In this paper, we report highly conductive, highly flexible, light weight and low cost printed graphene for wireless wearable communications applications. As a proof of concept, printed graphene enabled transmission lines and antennas on paper substrates were designed, fabricated and characterized. To explore its potentials in wearable communications applications, mechanically flexible transmission lines and antennas under various bended cases were experimentally studied. The measurement results demonstrate that the printed graphene can be used for RF signal transmitting, radiating and receiving, which represents some of the essential functionalities of RF signal processing in wireless wearable communications systems. Furthermore, the printed graphene can be processed at low temperature so that it is compatible with heat-sensitive flexible materials like papers and textiles. This work brings a step closer to the prospect to implement graphene enabled low cost and environmentally friendly wireless wearable communications systems in the near future.