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Graphene oxide (GO) paper is an attracting structural material because of its high stiffness and light-weight. In order to exploit the high strength and stiffness of individual GO nanosheet into GO paper, the fabrication process must be optimized. In this study we fabricated ultra-stiff and strong GO paper by directed-flow vacuum filtration and compared its mechanical properties under different loading conditions. We also explored the effect of cross-linking with borax, thermal annealing and sonication to further enhance mechanical properties. The stiffest GO paper reported here has a tensile modulus of 109.9 GPa and a flexural modulus of 45.7 GPa. We also found that the flexural modulus of GO paper is significantly lower than the tensile modulus because of interlayer shearing, micro-buckling and delamination during flexural deformation. The properties of GO papers therefore need to be carefully selected for mechanical structures where flexion is the major deformation. This study provides significant insights about improving mechanical properties of GO paper and selecting GO paper for different loading conditions.

The recently emergent laser induced graphene paper (LIGP) has endowed the large-scale assembly of 2D electronics with freestanding and multifunctional natures. Liquid sensors, a crucial component in next-generation smart devices, were developed in this report through LIGP technology. Attributed to the one-step process of computer-aided laser scribing, the new sensor was fulfilled easily with arbitrary 2D shapes, sizes and array modalities. In comparison to indirect sensing manners existed majorly in polymer binder/substrate enabled carbon devices, the novel LIGP sensors with self-supported graphitic structures evidently showed multiple superiorities, including faster response, greater reproducibility, and higher sensitivity for micro-volume liquid detections. Benefiting from the laser-process dependent structures, we further proved the tunable sensing characteristics relying dominantly on specific surface area, a critical factor for introducing capillary pressure to facilitate liquid infiltration and electrical disruption. Additionally, a dual-mode liquid-recognition strategy based on both time and speed was creatively proposed for identification of various liquids. With successful utilization of 5 × 5 LIGP array for mapping the distribution of different fluid emissions on composite structures, we highly anticipate the escalation of LIGP sensors for commercialization, roll-to-roll manufacturing, and multimodal safety-assurance applications.

Accumulated heat is the primary problem that needs to be solved in current electronic products. There is an urgent need for designing innovative high-performance thermal interface materials (TIMs) with excellent heat dissipation performance. Based on the development status of TIMs, graphene paper-based TIMs that are ultrathin thickness and have high through-plane thermal conductivity show great potential. From this perspective, we introduce four types of graphene paper (including graphene/polymer composite papers, graphene/metal composite papers, graphene/ceramic composite paper, and graphene/carbon composite paper) and vertically aligned graphene paper as TIMs. Based on the applications of these TIMs, their advantages and limitations are discussed. Finally further research prospects are proposed to promote the practical applications of graphene paper-based TIMs.

The development of renewable energy sources minimizes the burning of fossil fuels for clean and green environment. Electrochemical energy storage/conversion device pays a way towards sustainable development that concludes an emerging field in the trends of the research community. Prominently, the functional materials with suitable structure and property determine the performance and durability of the devices. In recent times, graphene with its tremendous properties play a major role in electrochemical energy device applications. Meanwhile, the graphene-based electrodes were fabricated by various coating techniques on existing electrodes that utilized for energy device fabrication. Apart from these, it is also fabricated in a paper like a form (self-supported or free-standing) with its remarkable high conductivity, flexibility, robustness and electrochemical behavior which have been nominated for fabrication of flexible energy devices. Paper-like electrodes become an emerging field to fabricate a light-weight and flexible electronic devices for future prospects. Thus, we have summarized a synthetic strategy of graphene paper and its properties that potentially focused on flexible device fabrication in both the energy storage and conversion system. Hence, this review boosts up the forthcoming researchers to enhance the device performance with interrelating free-standing graphene and other host material.

A free-standing, highly flexible and conductive graphene paper (GrP) was fabricated via a simple, green, and inexpensive method. The fabrication process starts with electrochemical exfoliation of graphite as partially oxidized graphene suspension, which is then vacuum-filtered and air-dried. The procedure does not warrant any binders, toxic and corrosive agents, or high temperature. The mechanically stable GrP has excellent tensile strength of 52.3 ± 2.3 MPa at peak elongation of 5.1 ± 0.4%; ultralow sheet resistance of 2.2 Ω sq−1, which is highly stable changing by only ∼4% even after 1000 consecutive bending cycles at 10 mm bending radius; and high electrical conductivity of 3.85 × 105 S m−1. The GrP also possesses high specific capacitance of 195.8 F g−1 at 1 mV s−1 in 1 M H2SO4 as electrolyte at room temperature with Pt wire and Ag/AgCl as counter and reference electrodes, respectively. Moreover, the GrP can reusably absorb large amounts of oils and organic solvents. This environmentally friendly GrP fabrication method is of low cost and can be used for large-scale fabrication for applications such as energy-storage devices, flexible/wearable electronics, and removal of oil or toxic organic spills.

A novel and sustainable paper template-based method was developed for the fabrication of advanced niobium carbide (NbC)-based free-standing films for electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding application. Through employing the porous structure of paper template, the simultaneous optimization of thickness, flexibility, density and shielding effectiveness (SE) of NbC-based films was facilely achieved. The pyrolytic carbon (PyC) derived from paper worked as a carbon source for the growth of the NbC phase. A hierarchically porous structure with a porosity of ∼80 vol % was established to optimize the flexibility and density of the resultant films. Adjusted heterogeneous NbC-PyC nano-interfaces were formed by controlling the amount of NbC and the remaining PyC phase in the films, which significantly improved the absorption capability of EM waves. At the highest NbC content, the film possesses shielding effectiveness of 50 and 86 dB when the sample thickness is ∼55 and ∼220 μm, respectively compared to 32 dB of pristine paper-derived PyC film (∼55 μm). These results provide guidance to explore more eco-friendly and commercially effective routes for the recycling of used paper through developing their application in the EM field.

In this paper, carbon paper as positive electrode for vanadium redox flow battery was etched by chlorosulfonic acid with assistance of ultrasonication. Carbon layer-exfoliated, wettability-enhanced, SO3H-functionalized carbon paper was successfully achieved by facile treatment. The electrochemical kinetics of VO2+/VO2+ redox reaction on carbon paper was significantly improved after the treatment. Carbon paper after ultrasonication-assisted treatment exhibits better electrochemical activity compared with the untreated and only-soaking samples. The cell using treated carbon paper as positive electrode shows larger discharge capacity and higher energy efficiency compared with the pristine cell. The initial discharge capacity of the cell using optimal treated carbon paper reaches 127.7 mA h, 20.8 mA h larger than that of the pristine one at 50 mA cm−2. Furthermore, the average energy efficiency increases by 5.1% by using the treated electrode. The introduced sulfonic groups as active sites and increased surface area by etching can reduce the electrochemical polarization of VO2+/VO2+ redox reaction. Moreover, the improved wettability of treated carbon paper can accelerate mass transfer of active species. Therefore, the reduced electrochemical polarization and accelerated mass transfer of active species conjointly cause the enhanced electrochemical properties of the treated carbon paper.