Graphene-oxide ink could guide future of smart clothing
15/08/2017
Graphene-oxide is a form of graphene that the research team has said can be produced relatively cheaply in a solution similar to conventional ink. It is suitable for application on textiles.
The researchers tested the ink on cotton fabrics and found that the printed electrodes offered excellent mechanical stability due to the strong interaction between the ink and the textile substrate.
The research was carried out at the university’s dedicated graphene research facility, the National Graphene Institute. Dr Nazmul Karim, part of the institute and co-author of a paper on the project said: “It will open up possibilities of making an environmentally friendly and cost-effective smart e-textiles that can store energy and monitor human activity and physiological condition at the same time”.
For his part, Dr Amor Abdelkader, another of the study’s co-authors said tests had shown the printed device was washable, making it “practically possible to use it for future smart clothing”.
“We believe this work will open the door for printing other types of devices on textile using 2D-materials inks,” he added.
Among the potential uses for the technology are high-performance sportswear for monitoring performance; embedded health-monitoring devices; lightweight military gear; new classes of mobile communication devices; and wearable computers. These applications will be explored through further research and development.
Image shows the graphene-oxide ink printed on cotton fabric (credit: University of Manchester).
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