Microstructural design strategies for graphene-based flexible sensor conductors

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Graphene-based flexible conductors represent a promising platform for multifunctional sensing applications, enabling simultaneous detection of temperature, humidity, and mechanical stress to meet the complex requirements of wearable electronics. The sensitivity and performance of these sensors can be significantly enhanced through strategic microstructural engineering of both the flexible substrate and conductive active layers. Various micro-nano architectures, including micro-domes, pillar arrays, cones, and bio-inspired structures, have been demonstrated to modulate sensing performance parameters. Unlike previous reviews that focused primarily on material synthesis or device fabrication, this review for the first time establishes a quantitative structure–performance relationship linking microstructural geometric parameters (i.e. aspect ratio, spacing, hierarchy) to sensor performance metrics (e.g. sensitivity, response time, detection range, durability). This review systematically examines the relationship between microstructural design and sensor performance, analyzing how geometric features influence sensitivity, response time, durability, and detection range. Compared with traditional conductive fillers such as silver nanowires, graphene offers superior structural flexibility and compatibility with micro-pattern processing. This review also briefly examines graphene/silver-nanowire composite structures as an emerging strategy for balancing conductivity and cost. By correlating structural characteristics with functional properties, we aim to provide design guidelines for optimizing graphene-based flexible sensors and establish a framework for developing next-generation multifunctional sensing systems.