A laser-induced-graphene (LIG) pattern fabricated using a 355 nm pulsed laser was applied to a strain sensor. Structural analysis and functional evaluation of the LIG strain sensor were performed by Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging, and electrical–mechanical coupled testing. The electrical characteristics of the sensor with respect to laser fluence and focal length were evaluated. The sensor responded sensitively to small deformations, had a high gauge factor of ~160, and underwent mechanical fracture at 30% tensile strain. In addition, we have applied the LIG sensor, which has high sensitivity, a simple manufacturing process, and good durability, to human finger motion monitoring.

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Bio-compatible strain sensors based on elastomeric conductive polymer composites play pivotal roles in human monitoring devices. However, fabricating highly sensitive and skin-like (flexible and stretchable) strain sensors with broad working range is still an enormous challenge. Herein, we report on a novel fabrication technology for building elastomeric conductive skin-like composite by mixing polymer solutions. Our e-skin substrates were fabricated according to the weight of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and photosensitive polyimide (PSPI) solutions, which could control substrate color. An e-skin and 3-D flexible strain sensor was developed with the formation of laser induced graphene (LIG) on the skin-like substrates. For a one-step process, Laser direct writing (LDW) was employed to construct superior durable LIG/PDMS/PSPI composites with a closed-pore porous structure. Graphene sheets of LIG coated on the closed-porous structure constitute a deformable conductive path. The LIG integrated with the closed-porous structure intensifies the deformation of the conductive network when tensile strain is applied, which enhances the sensitivity. Our sensor can efficiently monitor not only energetic human motions but also subtle oscillation and physiological signals for intelligent sound sensing. The skin-like strain sensor showed a perfect combination of ultrawide sensing range (120% strain), large sensitivity (gauge factor of ~380), short response time (90 ms) and recovery time (140 ms), as well as superior stability. Our sensor has great potential for innovative applications in wearable health-monitoring devices, robot tactile systems, and human–machine interface systems.

Three-dimensional (3-D) porous graphitic structures have great potential for sensing applications due to their conductive carbon networks and large surface area. In this work, we present a method for facile fabrication of hair-like laser induced graphene (LIG) patterns using a laser scribing system equipped with a 355 nm pulsed laser. The polyimide (PI) film was positioned on a defocused plane and irradiated at a slow scanning speed using a misaligned laser beam. These patterns have the advantages of a large surface area and abundant oxidation groups. We have applied the hair-like LIG patterns to a humidity sensor. The humidity sensor showed good sensitivity characteristics and a large amount of electronic carriers can be stored.

Due to the limited availability of agricultural land, pH sensing is becoming more and more important these days to produce efficient agricultural products. Therefore, to fabricate eco-friendly and disposable sensors, the black carbon, which is called biochar, is formed by irradiation of a UV pulsed laser having a wavelength of 355 nm onto wood and applying the resulting material as a pH sensor. The surfaces of three types of wood (beech, cork oak, and ash) were converted to the graphitic structure after UV laser irradiation; their morphologies were investigated. In addition, since the content of lignin, an organic polymer, is different for each wood, optimal laser irradiation conditions (laser fluence) needed to form these woods into pH sensors were considered. Depending on the degree of oil-like material generated after laser irradiation, a disposable pH sensor that can be used from one to three times is fabricated; due to the environmental characteristics of wood and biochar, the sensor shows high availability in that it can be easily discarded after use on agricultural land. After that, it can be used as filter in soil. Our wood-based pH sensor sensitively measures sequential changes from pH 4 to pH 10 and shows a very linear change of △R/R, indicating its potential for use in agriculture.

Many studies have been conducted to fabricate unique structures on flexible substrates and to apply such structures to a variety of fields. However, it is difficult to produce unique structures such as multilayer, nanospheres and porous patterns on a flexible substrate. We present a facile method of nanospheres based on laser-induced porous graphene (LIPG), by using laser-induced plasma (LIP). We fabricated these patterns from commercial polyimide (PI) film, with a 355 nm pulsed laser. For a simple one-step process, we used laser direct writing (LDW), under ambient conditions. We irradiated the PI film at a defocused plane −4 mm away from the focal plane, for high pulse overlap rate. The effect of the laser scanning speed was investigated by FE-SEM, to observe morphological characterization. Moreover, we confirmed the pattern characteristics by optical microscope, Raman spectroscopy and electrical experiments. The results suggested that we could modulate the conductivity and structural color by controlling the laser scanning speed. In this work, when the speed of the laser is 20 mm/s and the fluence is 5.28 mJ/cm2, the structural color is most outstanding. Furthermore, we applied these unique characteristics to various colorful patterns by controlling focal plane.

Homogenously dispersed Cu oxide nanoparticles on laser-induced graphene (LIG) were fabricated using a simple two-step laser irradiation. This work emphasized the synergetic photo-electrothermal effect in Cu oxide particles embedded in LIG. Our flexible hybrid composites exhibited high mechanical durability and excellent thermal properties. Moreover, the Cu oxide nanoparticles in the carbon matrix of LIG enhanced the light trapping and multiple electron internal scattering for the electrothermal effect. The best conditions for deicing devices were also studied by controlling the amount of Cu solution. The deicing performance of the sample was demonstrated, and the results indicate that the developed method could be a promising strategy for maintaining lightness, efficiency, excellent thermal performance, and eco-friendly 3D processing capabilities.

Generally, laser-induced graphene (LIG) is produced by carbonizing a polymer film by a laser. Such large-area laser scanning of a film involves various processing parameters. LIGs with different characteristics can be created by altering each processing variable. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the characteristics of the LIG surface structure generated according to the entire laser processing parameter range. However, few studies have focused on the surface morphological properties of LIGs. In this study, the characteristics of LIGs generated on a polyimide (PI) film with different laser processing parameters were studied based on the surface morphology, and the LIG was applied to a humidity and ions-selective sensor. When the PI film was attached to the diagonal ramp, the distance in the z-axis direction of the processing surface was changed, leading to a gradual change in the beam spot diameter at the focusing point. Through this method, continuous energy changes were induced, and LIGs with various surface colors and shapes that can be distinguished with the naked eyes were produced. The LIG produced by this process was classified into five types, and the specific surface area, water absorption rate, contact angle, surface resistance, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the Raman spectrum were analyzed. Various distributions were observed according to the type of surface shape. These measured values affect sensor applications. We fabricated and tested humidity sensors and ion-selective electrodes and found that structures suitable for gas circulation with opened porous surfaces are sensitive to humidity change reactions, and structures with numerous active sites distributed due to the high specific surface area are suitable for ion exchange performance when coated with polymers. Sensor applications according to the surface morphology allow the existing LIG sensors to be further optimized in performance and production processes. Therefore, we propose a morphology-based method for LIG fabrication and sensor application.