Perfect graphene is an ideal two-dimensional (2D) network of sp2–hybridized carbon atoms and is known as the strongest material in nature. However, the practical durability of large-area polycrystalline graphene with engineering relevance has not yet been made sufficiently high to meet industrial requirements.
This lack of durability is a technical impediment to the development of reproducible and reliable graphene-based flexible electronic products. The strength of graphene is mainly limited by the presence of unfavorable grain structures and of defects, both of which are inevitably generated during chemical vapor deposition and transfer of graphene.
In this context, increasing the mechanical durability of large-area polycrystalline single-atom-thick materials is a necessary step toward the development of practical and reliable soft electronics based on these materials. Therefore, devising an effective, easy-to-use, compatible with post processes, a general strategy to improve the durability of large-area graphene is a fundamental requirement before graphene can be used in next-generation soft electronics.
Read more: Nano-Patched Strengthened Graphene for Soft Electronics
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