Laser‐Architected Shape‐Configurable Vertical Graphene Thermoacoustic Loudspeakers for 3D Acoustic Emission

Recent advances in thermoacoustic (TA) loudspeakers have focused on freeform, conformal audio systems that enable conformal integration, spatial sound control, and seamless transformation between 2D and 3D geometries. However, their practical use remains limited by low sound pressure levels (SPLs) and poor mechanical adaptability, primarily due to insufficient thermal dissipation and structural rigidity. Here, we report a high-performance, shape-configurable TA loudspeaker based on vertically aligned reduced graphene oxide (VrGO), fabricated through a dual-laser process combining continuous-wave (CW) CO<sub>2</sub> laser reduction with pulsed laser patterning. The CW laser induces vertical microstructuring and graphitization, enhancing thermal transport and reducing the heat capacity per unit area, while the pulsed laser enables precise patterning into complex geometries such as kirigami and 3D prismoids. The VrGO loudspeakers exhibit superior SPL (85 dB at 10 kHz), excellent heat dissipation, and high resilience, maintaining over 75% SPL under 500% strain and stable output over 1000 cycles. The patterned VrGO structures enable omnidirectional emission, conformal attachment, and 2D-3D transformation. Notably, even thick VrGO films retain strong acoustic performance, outperforming conventional TA devices. This scalable, material-efficient strategy offers tunable directivity, adaptability, and multifunctionality for next-generation wearable audio devices, interactive electronics, and conformal human-machine interfaces.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Science
Published
2026-01-21
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202522911
Primary Topic
Acoustic Wave Phenomena Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Laser‐Architected Shape‐Configurable Vertical Graphene Thermoacoustic Loudspeakers for 3D Acoustic Emission

Jeongbo Lee, Baek Heon Lim, Sungwoong Park, TaeGyeong Lim et al.
Advanced Science
Acoustic Wave Phenomena Research
article

Laser‐Architected Shape‐Configurable Vertical Graphene Thermoacoustic Loudspeakers for 3D Acoustic Emission

Jeongbo Lee, Baek Heon Lim, Sungwoong Park, TaeGyeong Lim, Dohyung Lee, Soonmin Yim, Ki‐Seok An, Jin Kim, Se Young Lee
article en

Abstract

Recent advances in thermoacoustic (TA) loudspeakers have focused on freeform, conformal audio systems that enable conformal integration, spatial sound control, and seamless transformation between 2D and 3D geometries. However, their practical use remains limited by low sound pressure levels (SPLs) and poor mechanical adaptability, primarily due to insufficient thermal dissipation and structural rigidity. Here, we report a high-performance, shape-configurable TA loudspeaker based on vertically aligned reduced graphene oxide (VrGO), fabricated through a dual-laser process combining continuous-wave (CW) CO<sub>2</sub> laser reduction with pulsed laser patterning. The CW laser induces vertical microstructuring and graphitization, enhancing thermal transport and reducing the heat capacity per unit area, while the pulsed laser enables precise patterning into complex geometries such as kirigami and 3D prismoids. The VrGO loudspeakers exhibit superior SPL (85 dB at 10 kHz), excellent heat dissipation, and high resilience, maintaining over 75% SPL under 500% strain and stable output over 1000 cycles. The patterned VrGO structures enable omnidirectional emission, conformal attachment, and 2D-3D transformation. Notably, even thick VrGO films retain strong acoustic performance, outperforming conventional TA devices. This scalable, material-efficient strategy offers tunable directivity, adaptability, and multifunctionality for next-generation wearable audio devices, interactive electronics, and conformal human-machine interfaces.

Advanced ScienceVol. 13(18)
Hanbat National University (KR), Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KR)
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology
Openalex Percentile: Top 81%
Acoustic Wave Phenomena Research
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.