Provided are nanocrystalline graphene and a method of forming the nanocrystalline graphene through a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition process. The nanocrystalline graphene may have a ratio of carbon having an sp.sup.2 bonding structure to total carbon within the range of about 50% to 99%. In addition, the nanocrystalline graphene may include crystals having a size of about 0.5 nm to about 100 nm.

The present invention relates to a carbon composite material and a method for producing the same, and more particularly, to a carbon composite material capable of improving electrostatic dispersibility and flame retardancy, and a method for producing the same. The carbon composite material according to the present invention can be effectively applied to products requiring conductivity and flame retardancy.

A method of making a carbon foam comprises subjecting a precursor composition comprising an amount of at least partially decomposed lignin to a first pressure for a first time, optionally, while heating the precursor composition to a first temperature; heating the compressed precursor composition to a second temperature for a second period of time while subjecting the compressed precursor composition to a second pressure to further decompose the at least partially decomposed lignin and to generate pores within the compressed precursor composition, thereby providing a porous, decomposed precursor composition; and heating the porous, decomposed precursor composition to a third temperature for a third time to carbonize, and optionally, to graphitize, the porous, decomposed precursor composition to provide the carbon foam. Also provided are the carbon foams and composites made from the carbon foams.

A process for preparing a graphene nanomaterial product, the process comprising: cavitating a liquid medium comprising a diaromatic hydrocarbon component to synthesise from the diaromatic hydrocarbon component a dispersion of graphene nanomaterial in the liquid medium; and obtaining a graphene nanomaterial product from the dispersion.

The invention relates to an exfoliation method according to which a fluid loaded with particles flows at a first flow rate into a first (2), and then into a second, section of a pipe (1), the first flow rate being suitable for generating shear stresses and cavitation bubbles in the fluid as it passes through the first section (2) of the pipe (1), the second section (3) having a hydraulic diameter suitable for bringing about an implosion of cavitation bubbles as soon as the fluid exits the first section (2) and flows into the second section (3), so that an exfoliation of the particles is brought about under the combined action of the shear stresses and a shock wave generated by the implosion of the cavitation bubbles, the first section (2) having a hydraulic diameter less than 300 μm.

The invention relates to a host material for stabilizing a Li metal electrode, fabricating methods and applications of the same. The host material includes crumpled graphene balls operably defining a scaffold having volumes and voids inside and in between the crumpled graphene balls so as to allow uniform and stable Li deposition/dissolution inside and in between the crumpled graphene balls without electrode volume fluctuations or with sufficiently small electrode volume fluctuations. The crumpled paper ball-like structures of graphene particles can readily assemble to yield the scaffold with scalable Li loading up to 10 mAh cm-2 within tolerable volume fluctuations. High Coulombic efficiency of 97.5% over 750 cycles (1500 hours) is achieved. Plating/stripping Li up to 12 mAh cm-2 on the crumpled graphene scaffold does not experience dendrite growth.

The present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a graphene-metal composite wire. The method includes: (1) growing graphene on a surface of a metal wire through a chemical vapor deposition process; (2) twisting the wire; (3) pretensioning and pre-straining the wire; (4) cold-drawing the wire; and (5) subjecting the wire to a chemical vapor deposition process, wherein the wire is subjected to steps (2) to (5) successively and cycled n times, wherein f wires obtained in step (1) are used in the first cycle, f wires obtained from previous cycle are used in subsequent cycle, and finally a graphene-metal composite wire with fn strands is obtained, and wherein (a) f is an integer of 2-9; and (b) n is an integer of 6 or more.

A preparation method of a graphene film prepared with flexible polyimide includes the following steps: S1, laminating a plurality of polyimide films; S2, performing heat treatment while pressing the laminated polyimide films for bonding, wherein the temperature of heat treatment is lower than the temperature at which a thermoplastic polyimide film begins thermal decomposition, so that the laminated polyimide films are bonded together to form a polyimide composite film; and S3, raising the temperature of the polyimide composite film to be higher than the temperature at which the polyimide film begins thermal decomposition for heat treatment and carbonization treatment, thereby obtaining a carbonized multifunctional film, and performing graphitization treatment as required. The graphene film prepared by the present invention has ultra-high thermal conductivity, excellent flexibility and bending resistance, anisotropy and good electrical boundary shielding effect and magnetic boundary shielding effect, and a good application prospect.

Disclosed here is a method for making a three-dimensional micro-architected aerogel, comprising: (a) curing a reaction mixture comprising a co-sol-gel material (e.g., graphene oxide (GO)) and at least one catalyst to obtain a crosslinked co-sol-gel (e.g., GO hydrogel); (b) providing a photoresin comprising a solvent, a photoinitiator, a crosslinkable polymer precursor, and a dispersion of the crosslinked co-sol-gel (e.g., GO hydrogel); (c) curing the photoresin using projection microstereolithography layer-by-layer to produce a wet gel having a pre-designed three-dimensional structure; (d) drying the wet gel to produce a dry gel; and (e) pyrolyzing the dry gel to produce a three-dimensional micro-architected aerogel (e.g., graphene aerogel). Also disclosed is a photoresin for projection microstereolithography, comprising a solvent, a photoinitiator, a crosslinkable polymer precursor, and a dispersion of a crosslinked co-sol-gel.

Embodiments described herein generally relate to compositions including discrete nanostructures (e.g., nanostructures including a functionalized graphene layer and a core species bound to the functionalized graphene layer), and related articles and methods. A composition may have a coefficient of friction of less than or equal to 0.02. Discrete nanostructures may have a substantially non-planar configuration. A core species may reversibly covalently bind a first portion of a functionalized graphene layer to a second portion of the functionalized graphene layer. Articles, e.g., articles including a plurality of discrete nanostructures and a means for depositing the plurality of discrete nanostructures on a surface, are also provided. Methods (e.g., methods of forming a layer) are also provided, including depositing a composition onto a substrate surface and/or applying a mechanical force to the composition, e.g., such that the composition exhibits a coefficient of friction of less than or equal to 0.02.