In this blog post, we explore the possibilities and potential of how graphene can contribute to the advancement of wearable devices and smart technology.
Have you seen the movies ‘Mission Impossible’ or ‘Minority Report’? In these films, the protagonist wears various wearable devices and displays computer screens right before their eyes to solve multiple missions. It seems like a distant story compared to our daily lives, where we stare intently at small phone screens and carry heavy laptops to write reports. But what if these advanced devices were actually developed and widely available to the public? In fact, many people already use smartwatches or smart glasses, and devices like blood glucose monitors are widely used in hospitals. The adoption of wearable devices is already underway. This technological advancement isn’t just about increasing convenience; it’s fundamentally changing our way of life. From personal health management to entire industries, wearable devices are gradually becoming essential technology.
There is a material that has accelerated the adoption of these wearable devices: graphene. Graphene is created by peeling off a single layer from graphite, which consists of carbon atoms arranged in hexagonal layers through covalent bonds. Many scientists made numerous attempts to obtain graphene but failed repeatedly. Surprisingly, this innovative material was discovered through a remarkably simple method. In 2004, Andre Geim and Konstantin Sergeevich Novoselov from the UK first succeeded in isolating graphene from graphite. The tool this research team used to separate the graphene was none other than Scotch tape. By chance, when they stuck Scotch tape to graphite and peeled it off, a single layer of carbon remained on the tape. This discovery earned the team the Nobel Prize in Physics and propelled the scientific community forward.
Several reasons explain why graphene could leap forward as a next-generation material. First, graphene possesses exceptional physical strength. Because carbon atoms are densely connected in a lattice structure, it is exceptionally strong—up to 200 times stronger than steel, which is typically considered a very strong material. Graphene is also remarkably flexible. The spatial gaps within its single-layer carbon structure allow for elasticity, enabling it to retain its inherent properties even when its shape changes. Finally, graphene exhibits exceptional thermal and electrical conductivity. It possesses a band structure identical to semiconductors, where the energy gap between the electron-filled valence band and the electron-empty conduction band is small, allowing electrons to easily move into the conduction band. These properties make graphene outstanding at conducting both electricity and heat, which is one reason it is gaining attention as a core material for next-generation electronic devices. Notably, graphene has twice the thermal conductivity of diamond, known for having the highest thermal conductivity, and its electrical resistance is over 35% lower than that of copper, currently used in wires, making it highly conductive. These characteristics make graphene a highly anticipated next-generation material poised to replace existing silicon semiconductors.
With so many outstanding properties, the potential applications for graphene are virtually limitless. Its exceptional flexibility allows it to maintain thermal and electrical conductivity even when bent, making it ideal for creating flexible liquid crystal displays. Wearable devices and rollable computers, mentioned earlier, can also be made using graphene. It is particularly attracting significant attention as a next-generation material to replace indium tin oxide (ITO), currently the primary material for displays, due to ITO’s disadvantages of limited reserves and poor transparency. Furthermore, its exceptional electrical conductivity significantly enhances the performance of electrodes in solar cells and fuel cells, and it can also be utilized in next-generation semiconductors like ultra-fast transistors. For these reasons, graphene holds the potential to drive innovation across various industries as a next-generation material. For instance, new battery materials using graphene charge faster than conventional lithium-ion batteries and have higher energy density, enabling longer usage times. Such batteries are expected to make significant contributions to the technological advancement of electric vehicles, smartphones, and drones. Furthermore, graphene-based transparent electrodes are both transparent and highly electrically conductive, making them a potential essential element for future transparent displays or smart window technology.
Because of all these characteristics, graphene is emerging as a key player in the ubiquitous era, connecting every object in the home. Thin, flexible electronic tags utilizing graphene can connect the items we own—such as appliances, cars, and even clothing—enabling them to operate as a single integrated system. This system makes the smart home of the future we imagine possible. For example, a wardrobe equipped with a graphene tag could recommend today’s outfit based on weather information, while a refrigerator could automatically track the expiration dates of ingredients inside via graphene sensors and order necessary groceries. Furthermore, graphene-based smartwatches or health monitoring devices could check the user’s health status in real-time and automatically transmit data to a doctor.
Now, let’s go back to the beginning and imagine. In the morning, the screen in front of you automatically informs you of today’s weather and tasks, while a robot prepares breakfast. After eating the breakfast the robot made, you put on your smartwatch connected to your computer and head to work. When you return home at the end of the day, appliances equipped with graphene sensors greet you and automatically optimize the home environment. Then, when it’s time to sleep, the screen informs you of tomorrow’s tasks and automatically provides the optimal sleep state. All of this might not be just a distant future. With innovative materials and technologies like graphene, we can turn that future, once seen only in movies, into reality.
