Cold-Spray Enabled Scalable Manufacturing of Flexible Graphene-Based Wearable Sensors

Abstract

Wearable sensors are increasingly vital for health monitoring, human–machine interaction, and flexible electronics, yet their fabrication often relies on costly, multistep processes with limited scalability. In this work, we report a first ever cold spray deposition approach for fabricating flexible wearable pressure sensors using graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) on flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) polymer. The cold spray technique enables direct, binder-free deposition of sensing films on flexible substrates, ensuring strong adhesion, mechanical robustness, and scalable manufacturing. The fabricated sensors exhibit a high sensitivity of 12.13 kPa^–1, excellent durability with over 5000 stable cycles, and rapid response characteristics (12.66 ms rise time and 16.62 ms fall time). Demonstrated in real-time pulse waveform monitoring, the device highlights its potential for continuous health tracking and wearable biomedical applications. This study establishes cold spray deposition as a promising and scalable route for next-generation flexible sensors and wearable electronics.