Environmentally stable macroscopic graphene films with specific electrical conductivity exceeding metals

Abstract

Air stable, lightweight, and electrically conductive carbon-based films are highly desired for flexible electronic devices and products. Graphene film, a macroscopic assembly of individual graphene sheets, holds great potential to replace conventional brittle pyrolytic carbon film due to the excellent electrical transport property and flexibility. However, the electrical conductivity of graphene film is still inferior to metallic conductors, usually unstable in air as doped. We chose metal chloride (MoCl5) as air stable dopant and fabricated doped graphene film with well-controlled intercalation structure. The MoCl5 modified graphene film shows record high electrical conductivity of 1.73 × 107 S m−1, record high mobility of 2190.47 cm2 V−1 s−1, remarkable specific electrical conductivity exceeding benchmark metals (e.g., Au, Ag, Cu), and ultralow temperature coefficient of resistance (1.4 × 10−4 K−1). Importantly, the electrical conductivity and overall structure of MoCl5 intercalated films are exceptional stable in atmospheric environment, enabling wide applications in electronic devices, electromagnetic interference, and energy storage.