To provide a graphene compound having an insulating property and an affinity for lithium ions. To increase the molecular weight of a substituent included in a graphene compound. To provide a graphene compound including a chain group containing an ether bond or an ester bond. To provide a graphene compound including a substituent containing one or more branches. To provide a graphene compound including a substituent including at least one of an ester bond and an amide bond.

Disclosed here is a method of fabricating a covalently reinforced carbon nanotube (CNT) assembly. The method includes producing a CNT assembly by pulling entangled CNTs from a CNT array fabricated on a substrate, the CNT assembly including a plurality of CNTs that are aligned; and creating covalent bonding between the CNTs of the CNT assembly by applying a high energy ion irradiation to the CNT assembly.

A method for graphene functionalization that preserves electronic properties and enables nanoparticles deposition comprising providing graphene, functionalizing the graphene via non-covalent or covalent functionalization, rinsing the graphene, drying the graphene, and forming functionalized graphene wherein the functionalized graphene preserves electronic properties and enables nanoparticles deposition. A functionalized graphene wherein the graphene functionalization preserves electronic properties and enables nanoparticles deposition.

Disclosed here is a method of fabricating a covalently reinforced carbon nanotube (CNT) assembly. The method includes producing a CNT assembly by pulling entangled CNTs from a CNT array fabricated on a substrate, the CNT assembly including a plurality of CNTs that are aligned; and creating covalent bonding between the CNTs of the CNT assembly by applying a high energy ion irradiation to the CNT assembly.

Embodiments described herein relate generally to the large scale production of functionalized graphene. In some embodiments, a method for producing functionalized graphene includes combining a crystalline graphite with a first electrolyte solution that includes at least one of a metal hydroxide salt, an oxidizer, and a surfactant. The crystalline graphite is then milled in the presence of the first electrolyte solution for a first time period to produce a thinned intermediate material. The thinned intermediate material is combined with a second electrolyte solution that includes a strong oxidizer and at least one of a metal hydroxide salt, a weak oxidizer, and a surfactant. The thinned intermediate material is then milled in the presence of the second electrolyte solution for a second time period to produce functionalized graphene.

Carbon nanotube threads are coated with a coating solution such as dimethylformamide (DMF), ethylene glycol (EG), polyethylene glycol (PEG), PEG200 (PEG with a average molecular weight of approximately 200 grams per mole (g/mol)), PEG400 (PEG with a average molecular weight of approximately 400 g/mol), dimethyl sulfide (DMS 100 cP), HP1632, poly(methylhydrosiloxane), polyalkylene glycol, (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane, hydride functional siloxane 0 resin, platinum (0) -1,3-divinyl-1,1,3,3-tetramethyl-disiloxane, moisture in air, acetic acid, water, poly(dimethylsiloxane) hydroxy terminated, (3-glycidyloxypropyl)-trimethoxysilane or a combination thereof. The coated carbon nanotubes may be used to stitch in a Z-direction into a composite such as a polymer prepreg to strengthen the composite. The stitching may occur using a sewing machine.

A method for making a carbon nanotube composite structure includes providing a polymer substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. A first carbon nanotube layer including a plurality of carbon nanotubes is placed on the first surface to form a preformed structure, wherein the carbon nanotube layer and the polymer substrate are stacked with each other. The preformed structure is scanned with a laser according to a predetermined pattern. The treated preformed structure includes a first part and a second part. The first part is scanned by the laser, and the second part is not scanned by the laser. The first part includes a plurality of first carbon nanotubes, and the second part includes a plurality of second carbon nanotubes. The plurality of second carbon nanotubes is removed.

A method for manufacturing a vertically aligned carbon nanotube substrate includes the steps of treating a vertically aligned carbon nanotube array in an untreated state with a plasma to generate a vertically aligned carbon nanotube array in a plasma-treated state and adhering a coating onto at least a portion of the vertically aligned carbon nanotube array in the plasma-treated state to generate a vertically aligned carbon nanotube array in a coated state. The step of treating can include exposing the vertically aligned carbon nanotube substrate in the untreated state to the plasma in a plasma chamber. The step of adhering can include using a process of thermal evaporation or e-beam ablation. The method can also include the step of adhering a plurality of fluorophores to at least a portion of the vertically aligned carbon nanotube array in the coated state.

A field effect transistor and a sensor using the field effect transistor is provided. The field effect transistor can be manufactured so as to have uniform properties by simple steps at low costs, and can stably detect, when used as a sensor, a very small amount of analyte with a high sensitivity while the properties are hardly deteriorated. A channel of the field effect transistor is constituted by a single-walled carbon nanotube thin film that is grown, by a chemical vapor deposition method, using particles of a nonmetallic material as growth nuclei, the nonmetallic material containing 500 mass ppm or less metallic impurities that contain a metal and its compounds.

The present disclosure relates to a method of preparing a graphene metal nanoparticle-composite, including: preparing graphene by applying a shearing force to a first solution containing a graphite-based material and thus exfoliating the graphite-based material; preparing metal nanoparticles by applying a shearing force to a second solution containing a metal precursor, a capping agent, and a reducing agent; and physically combining the metal nanoparticles on the graphene by applying a shearing force to a third solution containing the graphene and the metal nanoparticles, and a graphene metal nanoparticle-composite prepared according to the method.