AgNWs decorated laser-induced graphene heater for performance enhancement

Film heaters are attracting growing attention as promising wearable electronic skin for a multitude of applications. Elastomer transfers laser-induced graphene (LIG) is a popular approach to preparing stretchable film heaters; however, they fall short of performance. Here, silver nanowires (AgNWs) were employed to decorate polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) transferring LIG by using CO2 infrared laser direct-writing technology. This heater’s electrothermal performance was substantially enhanced at different voltages, with a 35.28% enhancement when the voltage was 12 V. And response and recovery times were also improved. The results of repeated heating and cooling cycles also showed long-term reproducibility and reliability. The better performance could be attributed to the strengthened connection between the porous holes after long AgNWs coating on the porous structure of LIG, consequently enhancing the film conductivity. PDMS transferring LIG/AgNws have the extensive potential for future applications in artificial intelligence.