Ultra‐Robust Flexible Electronics by Laser‐Driven Polymer‐Nanomaterials Integration

• Published in: Advanced functional materials Vol. 31; no. 17
• Main Authors: Rodriguez, Raul D., Shchadenko, Sergey, Murastov, Gennadiy, Lipovka, Anna, Fatkullin, Maxim, Petrov, Ilia, Tran, Tuan‐Hoang, Khalelov, Alimzhan, Saqib, Muhammad, Villa, Nelson E., Bogoslovskiy, Vladimir, Wang, Yan, Hu, Chang‐Gang, Zinovyev, Alexey, Sheng, Wenbo, Chen, Jin‐Ju, Amin, Ihsan, Sheremet, Evgeniya
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-04-2021
• Subjects: Aluminum; Aluminum carbide; Aqueous electrolytes; Bending; Chemical sensors; Electric contacts; Electrical resistivity; Electronics; Energy storage; Ethanol; Flexible components; Graphene; laser processing; Lasers; laser‐induced graphene; Materials science; Nanomaterials; Nanoparticles; Polyethylene terephthalate; Polymer matrix composites; Polymers; Projectiles; Robustness; Structural stability; ultra‐robust flexible electronics; wearables
• ISSN: 1616-301X; 1616-3028
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202008818

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most widely used polymer in the world. For the first time, the laser‐driven integration of aluminum nanoparticles (Al NPs) into PET to realize a laser‐induced graphene/Al NPs/polymer composite, which demonstrates excellent toughness and high electrical conductivity with the formation of aluminum carbide into the polymer is shown. The conductive structures show an impressive mechanical resistance against >10000 bending cycles, projectile impact, hammering, abrasion, and structural and chemical stability when in contact with different solvents (ethanol, water, and aqueous electrolytes). Devices including thermal heaters, carbon electrodes for energy storage, electrochemical and bending sensors show this technology's practical application for ultra‐robust polymer electronics. This laser‐based technology can be extended to integrating other nanomaterials and create hybrid graphene‐based structures with excellent properties in a wide range of flexible electronics’ applications.
Taking circuits and sensors from their conventional rigid nature to flexible architectures is an unavoidable step for the future of electronics. Here, the inexpensive and large‐scale laser‐driven fabrication of circuits on the surface of common plastic materials is shown. The results show a strong integration of nanoparticles with simultaneous graphene formation for high‐performance flexible electronics.