Flexible graphene-assembled film for high-performance RF energy harvesting antenna array

As the core component responsible for capturing radio frequency (RF) energy from the environment, the antenna plays a critical role in determining the overall performance of a RF energy harvesting system. However, existing energy harvesting antennas suffer from limitations, such as single operating frequency bands, low gain, and poor flexibility, which constrain the application of RF energy harvesting systems. In this work, we present a flexible dual-band high-gain antenna array based on graphene-assembled film, fabricated via laser engraving. The antenna achieves stable electrical performance under bending, combining robustness with long service life. By integrating two patch antennas into a shared aperture, it operates efficiently in the 2.32–2.53 and 5.51–5.82 GHz Wi-Fi bands, reaching realized gains of 12.64 and 17.29 dBi, respectively. Leveraging its excellent band coverage and gain performance, the antenna array was implemented in an RF energy harvesting system, and its practical performance was evaluated. The results show that the system is capable of powering various low-power electronic devices. These findings highlight the potential of graphene-assembled film-based antennas for powering Internet of Things devices, and demonstrate their promising application in next-generation RF energy harvesting systems.