凯发

Graphene nano ribbons (GNRs) are quasi one-dimensional carbon materials and have large aspect ratio and high plane integrity, which not only possess excellent physical and chemical properties of graphene sheets, but also have unique edge states. However, GNRs have drawbacks such as aggregation tendency, as well as poor performance when being simply used as electrode materials in energy conversion and storage systems. In this talk, by adjusting the amount of oxidant (KMnO4),pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been longitudinally but partially unzipped at different extents, thus forming GNR/CNT hybrids in one step (Fig. 1). By acting as “bridges”, the GNRs connect different CNTs to form a three-dimensional conductive network, which facilitates the rapid transfer of charges or electrons. Thus, the excellent catalytic activity of the active sites in the edges of GNRs can be fully utilized. Furthermore, the existence of residual CNTs can help the formation of porous structure inside the GNR/CNT hybrid, and also prevent the aggregation of GNRs. GNR/CNT hybrids can be used as counter electrode materials in the energy conversion device of dye-sensitized solar cell,1 reinforcement and/or conductive nano fillers in polymer matrices for fabricating high-performance and multi-functional polymer nanocomposites.