'Graphene ink' could enable folding electronics

The resulting patterns are claimed to be 250 times more conductive than previous attempts to print graphene-based electronic patterns and could be a step toward low-cost, foldable electronics.

A paper describing the research, ‘Inkjet Printing of High Conductivity, Flexible Graphene Patterns,’ has been published in Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters.

‘Graphene has a unique combination of properties that is ideal for next-generation electronics, including high electrical conductivity, mechanical flexibility, and chemical stability,’ said Mark Hersam, professor of materials science and engineering at Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science. ‘By formulating an inkjet-printable ink based on graphene, we now have an inexpensive and scalable path for exploiting these properties in real-world technologies.’

Inkjet printing has previously been explored as a method for fabricating transistors, solar cells, and other electronic components. It is inexpensive, capable of printing large areas, and can create patterns on a variety of substrates, making it an attractive option for next-generation electronics.