SavedAdd your journal

Journals / International Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences / 2026 / Volume: 18 Issue: 1

Self-Healing Soft Robotic Systems with Graphene and Graphene Oxide Based E-Skin

Kadir Mercan(MEHMET AKIF ERSOY UNIVERSITY, MEHMET AKİF ERSOY APPLICATION AND RESEARCH CENTER)0000-0003-3657-6274
Pages
—
Publication Date
2026-06-30
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Overall, the results indicate that graphene- and GO-based self-healing e-skins are strong candidates for endowing soft robots with both sensing and self-protection capabilities.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Soft robots, composed of compliant polymers and hydrogels, can safely interact with humans and fragile environments but remain vulnerable to cuts, punctures, and tears, which limit their service life.
📊
Key Findings & Data:Polyurethane–GO networks can achieve tensile strengths in the range of 30–80 MPa and toughness values of 250–500 MJ m⁻³ while maintaining mechanical self-healing efficiencies of 80–90 % at room temperature.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:Overall, the results indicate that graphene- and GO-based self-healing e-skins are strong candidates for endowing soft robots with both sensing and self-protection capabilities.
🔬Design:Research Article
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Soft robotics · Self-healing materials · Electronic skin

Abstract

Soft robots, composed of compliant polymers and hydrogels, can safely interact with humans and fragile environments but remain vulnerable to cuts, punctures, and tears, which limit their service life. Self-healing polymers and hydrogels have therefore been proposed as sustainable solutions for soft robotics because they can recover their mechanical and functional properties after damage either autonomously or under mild external stimuli. In parallel, electronic skin (e-skin) platforms are required to endow robots with environmental perception; graphene- and graphene oxide (GO) based conductive, stretchable and self-healing materials have emerged as promising candidates for such skins. In this work, graphene- and GO-based self-healing e-skin systems for soft robotics are evaluated and compared. Polyurethane–GO networks can achieve tensile strengths in the range of 30–80 MPa and toughness values of 250–500 MJ m⁻³ while maintaining mechanical self-healing efficiencies of 80–90 % at room temperature. Photothermally triggered GO composites can further provide 88–99 % healing within 20–60 s under infrared irradiation. Graphene/GO-reinforced hydrogel and elastomer e-skins operate over wide strain ranges (300–850 % and above) and exhibit competitive gauge factors, response times and electrical healing efficiencies compared with state-of-the-art ionic and polymeric self-healing e-skins. Overall, the results indicate that graphene- and GO-based self-healing e-skins are strong candidates for endowing soft robots with both sensing and self-protection capabilities.

🔖

Cite This Article

Mercan, K. (2026). Self-Healing Soft Robotic Systems with Graphene and Graphene Oxide Based E-Skin. International Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Volume: 18 Issue: 1. https://doi.org/10.24107/ijeas.1826935

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (27)

  1. Lee, C., Wei, X., Kysar, J. W., & Hone, J., Measurement of the elastic properties and intrinsic strength of monolayer graphene. Science, 321(5887), 385-388, 2008.
  2. Demir, Ç., Mercan, K., Ersoy, H., & Civalek, Ö., Vibration analysis of graphene sheets using membrane model, Pamukkale University Journal of Engineering Sciences, 23(6), 652-658, 2017.
  3. Akgöz, B., & Civalek, Ö., Static and dynamic response of sector-shaped graphene sheets. Mechanics of Advanced Materials and Structures, 23(4), 432-442, 2016.
  4. Civalek, Ö., & Akgöz, B., Vibration analysis of micro-scaled sector shaped graphene surrounded by an elastic matrix. Computational Materials Science, 77, 295-303, 2013.
  5. Dastjerdi, S., Naeijian, F., Akgöz, B., & Civalek, Ö., On the mechanical analysis of microcrystalline cellulose sheets. International Journal of Engineering Science, 166, 103500, 2021.
  6. Dastjerdi, S., Akgöz, B., & Yazdanparast, L., A new approach for bending analysis of bilayer conical graphene panels considering nonlinear van der Waals force. Composites Part B: Engineering, 150, 124-134, 2018.
  7. Suk, J. W., Piner, R. D., An, J., & Ruoff, R. S., Mechanical properties of monolayer graphene oxide. ACS Nano, 4(11), 6557-6564, 2010.
  8. Mercan, K., Demir, Ç., Akgöz, B., Civalek, Ö., Coordinate transformation for sector and annular sector shaped graphene sheets on silicone matrix. International Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 7(2), 56-73, 2015.
  9. Demir, Ç., Akgöz, B., Erdinç, M. C., Mercan, K., Civalek, Ö., Elastik bir ortamdaki grafen tabakanın titreşim hesabı. Journal of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture of Gazi University, 32(2), 551-562, 2017.
  10. Kang, J., Son, D., Wang, G. J. N., Liu, Y., Lopez, J., Kim, Y., Oh J. Y., Katsumata T., Mun J., Lee Y., Jin L., Tok J. B.-H., & Bao, Z., Tough and water‐insensitive self‐healing elastomer for robust electronic skin. Advanced Materials, 30(13), 1706846, 2018.
  11. Terryn, S., Langenbach, J., Roels, E., Brancart, J., Bakkali-Hassani, C., Poutrel, Q. A., Vanderborght, B., A review on self-healing polymers for soft robotics. Materials Today, 47, 187-205, 2021.
  12. Islam, M. A., Talukder, L., Al, M. F., Sarker, S. K., Muyeen, S. M., Das, P., Abhi, S. H., A review on self-healing featured soft robotics. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 10, 1202584, 2023.
  13. Jeong, Y., Majidi, C., Ko, S. H., Self-Healing Soft Robots: Materials, Sensors and Integrated Systems. International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing, 1-21, 2025.
  14. Kashef Tabrizian, S., Terryn, S., Vanderborght, B., Toward Autonomous Self‐Healing in Soft Robotics: A Review and Perspective for Future Research. Advanced Intelligent Systems, 2400790, 2025.
  15. Chen, Y., Gao, Z., Zhang, F., Wen, Z., Sun, X., Recent progress in self‐powered multifunctional e‐skin for advanced applications. In Exploration, 2(1), 20210112, 2022.
  16. Lee, Y., Tian, X., Park, J., Nam, D. H., Wu, Z., Choi, H., Zhu, Y., Rapidly self-healing electronic skin for machine learning–assisted physiological and movement evaluation. Science Advances, 11(7), eads1301, 2025.
  17. Tang, W., Zhong, Y., Xu, H., Qin, K., Guo, X., Hu, Y., Zou, J., Self-protection soft fluidic robots with rapid large-area self-healing capabilities. Nature Communications, 14(1), 6430, 2023.
  18. Zheng, C., Yue, Y., Gan, L., Xu, X., Mei, C., Han, J., Highly stretchable and self-healing strain sensors based on nanocellulose-supported graphene dispersed in electro-conductive hydrogels. Nanomaterials, 9(7), 937, 2019.
  19. Prapanca, A., Aliansah, M. F., Paramudhita, F. A., Faaizatunnisa, N., Ariesta, M. N., Taufiq, A., Self-healing graphene-based composite hydrogels for motion Sensing: Source, fabrication, and applications in assistive technologies–A review. Sensors International, 6, 100338, 2025.
  20. Wang, F., Chen, C., Zhu, D., Li, W., Liu, J., Wang, J., Ultrastretchable and highly conductive hydrogels based on Fe3+-lignin nanoparticles for subzero wearable strain sensor. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 253, 126768, 2023.
  21. You, R., Liu, Y. Q., Hao, Y. L., Han, D. D., Zhang, Y. L., You, Z., Laser fabrication of graphene‐based flexible electronics. Advanced Materials, 32(15), 1901981, 2020.
  22. Liu, Y., Zheng, J., Zhang, X., Li, K., Zhang, Y., Du, Y., Jia, Y., Mussel-inspired waterproof and self-healing polyurethane with enhanced mechanical properties. European Polymer Journal, 159, 110751, 2021.
  23. Liu, Y., Zheng, J., Zhang, X., Du, Y., Yu, G., Li, K., Zhang, Y., Bioinspired modified graphene oxide/polyurethane composites with rapid self-healing performance and excellent mechanical properties. RSC advances, 11(24), 14665-14677, 2021.
  24. Ibrahim, O. O., Liu, C., Zhou, S., Jin, B., He, Z., Zhao, W., Zhang, S., Recent Advances in Nanomaterial-Based Self-Healing Electrodes Towards Sensing and Energy Storage Applications. Sensors, 25(7), 2248, 2025.
  25. Sharma, S., Mondal, T., Graphene‐Based Vitrimeric Ink with Self‐Healing Properties Enables Simple E‐Textile Triboelectric Coating Development. Small, 21(12), 2500481, 2025.
  26. Sim, H. J., Lee, D. W., Kim, H., Jang, Y., Spinks, G. M., Gambhir, S., Kim, S. J., Self-healing graphene oxide-based composite for electromagnetic interference shielding. Carbon, 155, 499-505, 2019.
  27. Bilodeau, R. A., & Kramer, R. K., Self-healing and damage resilience for soft robotics: A review. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 4, 48, 2017.