Conformal graphene coatings on ordinary fabrics for wearable electronic devices

Abstract

Dip-coating ordinary fabrics with conductive macromolecules holds promise for mass-production of next-generation wearable electronics but faces an interaction dilemma in high-entangled fabrics: weak interactions for uniform penetration versus strong for stable coating. Herein, we present a temporal decoupling strategy, designing stage-specific interaction strengths to achieve uniform graphene oxide penetration and robust reduced graphene oxide adhesion. Using the triphilic surfactant Triton X-100 as a representative system, this strategy enables the fabrication of fabrics with conductivity (283.1 S m−1) and comprehensive wearability (hydrophilicity, air permeability, washability, bacteriostasis, and biocompatibility) over 200-meter roll. This combination of conductivity and production scale outperforms current competitors by over 100-fold, with over 10-time-lower cost (0.4 US$ m−2). This strategy is universally applicable to various ordinary fabrics and enables multifunctional applications, including electromagnetic interference shielding and Joule heating. Our work offers a scalable, universal and low-cost methodology for fabric-based wearable electronics with immediate potential for industrial adoption.