Wet-spinning of reduced graphene oxide composite fiber by mechanical synergistic effect with graphene scrolling method

Abstract

Carbon-based fibers have attracted attention in various field owing to their exceptional properties, including high tensile strength, thermal stability, and electrical conductivity. In particular, graphene-based high-strength fibers are promising materials in aerospace, automotive, and marine sectors. Recently, the hybrid fiber, consisting of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene with enhanced toughness was reported by deflecting cracks and enabling high deformation. However, complex synthesis and structural optimization of composite fiber with two different materials make challenge for mass production. Here, we introduce a novel graphene composite fiber, consisting of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and scrolled rGO (SrGO), showing remarkable toughness. A multidimensional-state solution with 2D rGO and 1D SrGO was obtained by using a simple sonication technique. Mass production of high-toughness composite fibers was achieved via wet-spinning, with enhanced toughness attributed to microstructure optimization by controlling the SrGO ratio. Additionally, the use of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as the matrix facilitated high deformation, resulting in a remarkable 90.7 % increase in mechanical toughness without complex composite material synthesis.