Toward high performance graphene fibers

Two-dimensional graphene and graphene-based materials have attracted tremendous interest, hence much attention has been drawn to exploring and applying their exceptional characteristics and properties. Integration of graphene sheets into macroscopic fibers is a very important way for their application and has received increasing interest. In this study, neat and macroscopic graphene fibers were continuously spun from graphene oxide (GO) suspensions followed by chemical reduction. By varying wet-spinning conditions, a series of graphene fibers were prepared, then, the structural features, mechanical and electrical performances of the fibers were investigated. We found the orientation of graphene sheets, the interaction between inter-fiber graphene sheets and the defects in the fibers have a pronounced effect on the properties of the fibers. Graphene fibers with excellent mechanical and electrical properties will yield great advances in high-tech applications. These findings provide guidance for the future production of high performance graphene fibers.