Multifunctional reduced graphene oxide-CVD graphene core-shell fibers

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Conventional reduced graphene oxide liquid crystal (rGO-LC) fibers suffer from poor electrical conductivity and mechanical stretchability, limiting their use in textile devices.
• There is a need for advanced graphene fibers with improved properties for wearable electronics and energy storage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simple method for fabricating multifunctional graphene fibers with enhanced electrical and mechanical properties.
• To investigate the potential of these novel fibers in high power density supercapacitors.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of polymer-free graphene fibers using a core-shell structure with mechanically strong reduced graphene oxide (rGO) cores and highly conductive chemical vapor deposition (CVD) graphene shells (rGO@Gr fibers).
• Characterization of the electrical conductivity and mechanical stretchability of the fabricated rGO@Gr fibers.
• Demonstration of supercapacitor performance using the rGO@Gr fibers, evaluating power density, mechanical stability, and durability.

Main Results:

• The rGO@Gr fibers achieved an outstanding electrical conductivity of approximately 137 S cm-1.
• The fibers exhibited a high failure strain value of 21%, the highest reported for polymer-free graphene fibers.
• Supercapacitors fabricated with rGO@Gr fibers demonstrated high power density with enhanced mechanical stability and durability.

Conclusions:

• The developed rGO@Gr fibers represent a significant advancement in graphene fiber technology due to their superior electrical conductivity and mechanical stretchability.
• These multifunctional fibers show great promise for practical applications in smart wearable devices and high-performance energy storage systems.