Universal Coating Strategy Breaks Stability-Performance Trade-Off in Macroscopic Graphene Films

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Macroscopic graphene films (MGFs) offer exceptional electrical and thermal conductivity, making them promising for energy storage, thermal management, and flexible electronics.
• High graphitization in MGFs results in surface fragility due to weak interlayer interactions, limiting their practical performance and stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an interface engineering strategy for MGFs to enhance surface stability.
• To maintain the ultrahigh electrical and thermal conductivities of MGFs after surface modification.
• To provide a scalable solution for improving MGF applications in industry.

Main Methods:

• Employed a surfactant-enhanced interface self-assembly strategy to create a 5 nm thick Triton X-100-enhanced graphene oxide coating on MGF (MGF@TGO).
• Utilized depth profiling characterizations to analyze the surface strengthening mechanisms, including hydrogen bonding and π-π stacking.
• Tested the stability of MGF@TGO under simulated operating conditions to evaluate its performance as a thermal management unit.

Main Results:

• The MGF@TGO exhibited a 206.36% increase in surface adhesion.
• Over 99% of the original electrical and thermal conductivities were preserved after coating.
• The modified MGF@TGO demonstrated excellent stability without surface detachment under simulated operating conditions.
• The interface engineering strategy proved universally applicable to various aromatic-polar amphiphilic surfactants.

Conclusions:

• The developed interface engineering strategy successfully balances enhanced surface stability with minimal performance loss in MGFs.
• The MGF@TGO serves as a robust thermal management material with improved durability.
• This approach offers a scalable and versatile solution for advancing MGF applications in diverse industrial fields.