Research highlight
Spinning graphene into fibres
Nature Communications
December 7, 2011
Macroscopic fibres made up of graphene are reported this week in Nature Communications. These could lead to their use as functional textiles with high conductivity. Graphene has received widespread attention as a result of its exceptional electrical, thermal and mechanical properties. So far, the focus has mostly been on its electrical properties and their potential for electronics applications. Zhen Xu and Chao Gao show how to spin macroscopic graphene fibres starting from a colloidal solution of graphene oxide liquid crystals. The fibres can be knitted into a range of designs, and offer an alternative approach for fabricating carbon fibres.
doi: 10.1038/ncomms1583
Research highlights
-
Aug 12
Materials: Storing energy in bricksNature Communications
-
Aug 11
Planetary science: Dawn’s close-up look at CeresNature Astronomy
-
Jul 30
Astrophysics: Finding the best view of the sky at nightNature
-
Jul 14
Bioengineering: Restoring damaged human lungs via cross-circulation to a pigNature Medicine
-
Jul 10
Engineering: Reducing noise transmitted through an open windowScientific Reports
-
Jul 9
Physics: The rise of the robotic researcherNature
