title: Graphene chiral liquid crystals and macroscopic assembled fibres.
abstract: Chirality and liquid crystals are both widely expressed in nature and biology. Helical assembly of mesophasic molecules and colloids may produce intriguing chiral liquid crystals. To date, chiral liquid crystals of 2D colloids have not been explored. As a typical 2D colloid, graphene is now receiving unprecedented attention. However, making macroscopic graphene fibres is hindered by the poor dispersibility of graphene and by the lack of an assembly method. Here we report that soluble, chemically oxidized graphene or graphene oxide sheets can form chiral liquid crystals in a twist-grain-boundary phase-like model with simultaneous lamellar ordering and long-range helical frustrations. Aqueous graphene oxide liquid crystals were continuously spun into metres of macroscopic graphene oxide fibres; subsequent chemical reduction gave the first macroscopic neat graphene fibres with high conductivity and good mechanical performance. The flexible, strong graphene fibres were knitted into designed patterns and into directionally conductive textiles.
authors.affiliation: MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou 310027, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D002627:Chemistry, Physical; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D006108:Graphite / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D050866:Liquid Crystals / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry; D044367:Phase Transition; D058428:Silica Gel / Q000737:chemistry; D013784:Textiles / Q000032:analysis*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D010087:Oxides; D014867:Water; D058428:Silica Gel; D006108:Graphite