Photoinduced flexible graphene/polymer nanocomposites Design, formation mechanism, and properties engineering

Flexible electronics is a new paradigm with strong implications from healthcare to energy applications. In this context, electrically conductive polymers are the critical components. Here, we report the design, formation mechanism, and applications of a polymer nanocomposite obtained by single-step laser integration of functionalized graphene into a polymer matrix. Laser processing manipulates the physical-chemical properties of this nanocomposite in a controlled and straightforward way, tuning the electrical resistance from a dielectric (MΩ sq⁻¹) to a highly conductive material (Ω sq⁻¹). We combine experimental and computational approaches to elucidate graphene nanocomposite's nature and formation mechanism, evidencing different processes from photothermal polymer melting to shock wave mixing in a liquid phase within a millisecond time scale. We exploit these fundamental insights on the graphene/polymer nanocomposite in the design and fabrication of electrochemical sensing and antenna devices, showing the potential for healthcare and the Internet of Things.