Binder-free Graphene Printed Flexible and Conductive Cotton Fabric for E-textile Applications

Abstract

With the rapid development of the miniaturization and versatility of electronic devices, wireless and flexible properties are playing an increasingly important role in electronics, owing to the rapid increase in power density. Graphene printable devices are in high demand for industrial applications in terms of energy storage and flexible circuit products that are economically viable and can be produced on a large scale. In this study, a flexible binder-free conductive fabric was printed on cotton fabric via flat screen printing. This study involved printing various coats of graphene oxide (GO) followed by chemical reduction using chemical reduction of the printed circuit fabric. The fabric with fifth printed coat showed the least resistance value of 18 Ω/sq. The results also showed that the reduced GO (rGO) printed conductive fabric had excellent washing stability. The successful formation of GO was assessed using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. In addition, the successful reduction of GO to rGO on the GO coated fabric was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Additionally, biocompatible water-based and binder-free printing has the potential to open opportunities for the production of next-generation eco-friendly electronic textiles for electronic circuits, sports, healthcare, and military applications.