Electrowetting on dielectric experiments using graphene

Abstract

We report electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD) experiments using graphene; a transparent, flexible and stretchable nanomaterial. Graphene sheets were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition, and transferred to various substrates (including glass slides and PET films). Reversible contact angle changes were observed on the Teflon-coated graphene electrode with both AC and DC voltages. Nyquist plots of the EWOD reveal that the graphene electrode has higher capacitive impedance than gold electrodes under otherwise identical conditions, suggesting a lower density of pin-holes and defects in the Teflon/graphene electrode than in the Teflon/gold electrode. Furthermore, we have observed reduced electrolysis of the electrolyte and smaller leakage current in the dielectric layer (Teflon) on graphene electrodes than on Au electrodes at the same Teflon thickness and applied voltage. We expect that the improved EWOD properties using graphene as an electrode material will open the door to various applications, including flexible displays and droplet manipulation in three-dimensional microfluidics.