Graphene used as a sensing material in harsh environments

Graphene is well known for its extraordinary electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties as a 2D material. To assess its potential for sensing applications in harsh environments, Sohail Shaikh and Muhammad Hussain designed a graphene based multisensory platform and tested their design under various environmental conditions.

“Although prior research has focused on graphene’s behavior and possibility in room temperature and cryogenic temperature, not many works available on its characteristics in the broad range of harsh environments we used for this experiment,” said Hussain. “From that perspective, it has provided us with valuable insight on its actual promise and challenges for such conditions.”

Shaikh and Hussain created the graphene-based sensors using single-layer graphene and laser-induced graphene, created through chemical vapor deposition, and demonstrated their functionality in chemically harsh environments, in high temperature, and in high salinity.

They used a transfer-free fabrication technique where the graphene on a copper foil is patterned using lithography and then etched with nitric acid. The method prevented wrinkles and damages stemming from transfers.

“The treasure trove of findings surrounding graphene indicates that with a sustained growth process it can be utilized for large area applications,” said Hussain. “In the future, we are going to focus furthermore toward that goal to fill up the voids related to scientific understanding.”

The sensing device could be used for wearable fitness tracking and monitoring, as well as for applications in outer space and marine environments.

Source: “Multisensory graphene-skin for harsh-environment applications,” by Sohail F. Shaikh and Muhammad M. Hussain, Applied Physics Letters (2020). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0017769 .