Graphene oxide spun into several meters long fibers

Researchers from China's Zhejiang University in Hangzhou demonstrated meter long graphene fibers - made from nano-sized flakes of graphene oxide. These fibers are strong and flexible and can be tied in knots or woven into conductive "mats".

The researchers use web spinning to turn a graphene oxide solution into long (tens of meters!) fibers. They then treated those fibers with chemical reduction to turn them back in strings of graphene. The next stage for their research is to improve the fiber's strength - which currently cannot compete with carbon fibers.

Posted: Dec 07,2011 by Ron Mertens