Controlling Magnetization of Gr/Ni COMposite for Application in High-Performance Magnetic Sensors

Graphene (Gr), a well-known 2D material, has been under intensive investigation in the past decade due to its high potential applications in industry and advanced technological elements. Composites made of Gr and other functional materials especially magnetic materials have opened opportunities in sensors, health care monitoring, magnetic devices, etc. Here, we report a mass production of Gr/Ni composite powders using an electrochemical exfoliation/deposition method with different magnetic strengths of the final composite material. We applied the magnetic composite materials in a magnetoimpedance (MI) -based sensor and observed a significant enhancement in the MI effect and its field sensitivity. Such magnetic composites with controlled magnetization strengths are coated on the MI -ribbon sensor surface, and different MI responses are observed. Furthermore, the MI response of a ribbon coated with a Gr/Ni layer is theoretically determined based on an electrodynamic model with a qualitative consistency to experimental results. comprehensive study can be applied in high-performance functionalized MI-based magnetic sensors and devices.