The world of computing is bending in completely new directions, literally.
A research team from Northwestern University has announced in the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters that it has developed a type of ink that could lead to inkjet-printed graphene, an extremely thin layer of carbon-based graphite that's held together in a pliable lattice structure.
The study was funded by the United States Office of Naval Research.
The team reported its graphene-based ink is highly conductive and tolerant to bending, which could be used to develop bendable electronic devices, such as tablet computers.
"Graphene has a unique combination of properties that is ideal for next-generation electronics, including high electrical conductivity, mechanical flexibility, and chemical stability," Mark Hersam, professor of materials science and engineering at Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, explained in a press release. "By formulating an inkjet-printable ink based on graphene, we now have an inexpensive and scalable path for exploiting these properties in real-world technologies."
The researchers printed ink in multiple layers, each just 14 nanometers thick, to create precise patterns. Throughout the process, the ink's conductivity remained unchanged, which suggested it would be relatively easy to apply it in mass production.
Scientists discovered graphene in 2004 by peeling off carbon layers from graphite using common transparent tape and have since deemed it the world's thinnest, strongest and most conductive material --- with a seemingly infinite array of potential uses.
Scientists have said graphene could eventually be used to develop computer chips, broadband connections, bendable smartphones and even facilitate drug delivery.
Up until the latest findings, inkjet printing with graphene had been a challenge because it was difficult to maintain the material's electronic properties.
The new method for mass-producing graphene can be carried out at room temperature by using ethanol and ethyl cellulose to remove individual layers of graphite, an approach that results in a powder with a high concentration of nanometer-sized graphene flakes.
Other researchers have written about how graphene could manipulated into photovoltaic structures that could then be placed on the outer walls of buildings to absorb sunlight, as well as used in the development of temperature-and-light-sensitive windows and other fixtures.
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