Taking Advantage of Graphene to Advance Wearable Technology

The emergence of wearable technology has proven that bigger isn't always better when it comes to electronics. This innovation is available to the public in the form of accessories, such as eyewear and wrist devices, performing varied tasks ranging from basic computing to heart rate monitoring.

The Search for a Lighter and More Flexible Power Source

For this technology to maximize its full potential, raw materials will have to be lighter and more flexible. This is why researchers have been continuously looking for ways to power wearable devices without using bulky batteries or chargers.

One of their recent discoveries is printing flexible batteries on fabrics with graphene. This will allow people to literally wear the power supply of their smartphones and other devices. Soon, carrying heavy power-banks or chargers will be a thing of the past.

Introducing a Breakthrough in Battery Technology

As the thinnest, strongest, and most conductive material available, graphene will help usher in a new world of smart devices. It's very useful in various applications due to its exceptional band structure and unique mechanical, optical, and thermal properties.

Composed of pure carbon, graphene is similar to graphite but lighter and stronger. It weighs 0.77 milligrams and is 200 times tougher than steel. Its density is comparable to that of carbon fiber, allowing it to withstand extreme bending forces without breaking.

Producing Graphene for Commercial Use

Graphene can open up new markets and even replace current ones. It has shown its potential to improve existing material or technology. There's just one significant challenge in adapting it for commercial use:  how to produce it efficiently.

Scientists are now looking into various techniques to produce graphene. Among these is chemical vapor deposition (CVD), which has received the fastest advances in recent years.

Compared with the other methods, CVD is an effective and powerful way to synthesize graphene. Using it produces materials that possess high levels of imperviousness and purity.

Combining and depositing volatile gas molecules onto a substrate, the process occurs in a reaction chamber, where graphene is synthesized on the substrate's surface.

The waste gas is then pumped out of the chamber. It's crucial to achieve the right temperature of the substrate as it defines the reaction that will take place.

The goal of utilizing CVD growth of graphene is to achieve the highest quality of the material in the largest scale and lowest cost possible, while maximizing layer thickness, stacking order, and crystallinity.  

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ACS Material, LLC Joined: October 23rd, 2019