Laser Writing of Janus Graphene/Kevlar Textile for Intelligent Protective Clothing

TLDR

Protective clothing is essential for safety, yet integrating electronics into textiles without compromising flexibility and breathability remains a challenge. The study aims to embed wearable electronics into protective garments by directly writing laser‑induced graphene on Kevlar textiles to create intelligent protective clothing. Laser irradiation breaks Kevlar’s C═O and N–C bonds, reorganizing carbon into graphene via a photothermal effect, and enables the fabrication of devices such as flexible Zn–air batteries, ECG electrodes, and NO₂ sensors on the textile. Laser‑induced direct writing of graphene on commercial textiles in air offers a versatile, rapid route to fabricate textile electronics.

Abstract

Protective clothing plays a vital role in safety and security. Traditional protective clothing can protect the human body from physical injury. It is highly desirable to integrate modern wearable electronics into a traditional protection suit to endow it with versatile smart functions. However, it is still challenging to integrate electronics into clothing through a practical approach while keeping the intrinsic flexibility and breathability of textiles. In this work, we realized the direct writing of laser-induced graphene (LIG) on a Kevlar textile in air and demonstrated the applications of the as-prepared Janus graphene/Kevlar textile in intelligent protective clothing. The C═O and N–C bonds in Kevlar were broken, and the remaining carbon atoms were reorganized into graphene, which can be ascribed to a photothermal effect induced by the laser irradiation. Proof-of-concept devices based on the prepared graphene/Kevlar textile, including flexible Zn–air batteries, electrocardiogram electrodes, and NO2 sensors, were demonstrated. Further, we fabricated self-powered and intelligent protective clothing based on the graphene/Kevlar textile. The laser-induced direct writing of graphene from commercial textiles in air conditions provides a versatile and rapid route for the fabrication of textile electronics.