An effective way to improve the electrical conductivity of printed graphene patterns was demonstrated by realizing the assembly of giant graphene oxide sheets during the printing process. The synergetic effect of printing-induced orientation and evaporation-induced interfacial assembly facilitated the formation of laminar-structured patterns. The resulting patterns after chemical reduction showed excellent electrical conductivity in printed graphene electronics. Because of their high conductivity, mechanical flexibility, and advantage in pattern design, printed graphene electrodes were applied in electrical-driven soft actuators, which can realize controllable deformation with low driving voltage. Such achievements will be of great significance for the development of graphene-based flexible and printed electronics.
Keywords: flexible circuits; graphene patterns; induced assembly; printed electronics; soft actuators.