Individual carbon nanotubes are like minute bits of string, and many trillions of these invisible strings must be assembled to make useful macroscopic articles. We demonstrated such assembly at rates above 7 meters per minute by cooperatively rotating carbon nanotubes in vertically oriented nanotube arrays (forests) and made 5-centimeter-wide, meter-long transparent sheets. These self-supporting nanotube sheets are initially formed as a highly anisotropic electronically conducting aerogel that can be densified into strong sheets that are as thin as 50 nanometers. The measured gravimetric strength of orthogonally oriented sheet arrays exceeds that of sheets of high-strength steel. These nanotube sheets have been used in laboratory demonstrations for the microwave bonding of plastics and for making transparent, highly elastomeric electrodes; planar sources of polarized broad-band radiation; conducting appliqués; and flexible organic light-emitting diodes.

It is a challenge to fabricate graphene bulk materials with properties arising from the nature of individual graphene sheets, and which assemble into monolithic three-dimensional structures. Here we report the scalable self-assembly of randomly oriented graphene sheets into additive-free, essentially homogenous graphene sponge materials that provide a combination of both cork-like and rubber-like properties. These graphene sponges, with densities similar to air, display Poisson's ratios in all directions that are near-zero and largely strain-independent during reversible compression to giant strains. And at the same time, they function as enthalpic rubbers, which can recover up to 98% compression in air and 90% in liquids, and operate between À 196 and 900°C. Furthermore, these sponges provide reversible liquid absorption for hundreds of cycles and then discharge it within seconds, while still providing an effective near-zero Poisson's ratio.

Improved electrically powered artificial muscles are needed for generating force, moving objects, and accomplishing work. Carbon nanotube aerogel sheets are the sole component of new artificial muscles that provide giant elongations and elongation rates of 220% and (3.7 x 10(4))% per second, respectively, at operating temperatures from 80 to 1900 kelvin. These solid-state-fabricated sheets are enthalpic rubbers having gaslike density and specific strength in one direction higher than those of steel plate. Actuation decreases nanotube aerogel density and can be permanently frozen for such device applications as transparent electrodes. Poisson's ratios reach 15, a factor of 30 higher than for conventional rubbers. These giant Poisson's ratios explain the observed opposite sign of width and length actuation and result in rare properties: negative linear compressibility and stretch densification.

Silver vanadium oxide (SVO) and V2O5 nanowires have been hydrothermally synthesized. The as-made nanowires are over 30 microm long and 10-20 nm in diameter. The nanowires have a layered structure with a d-spacing of 1.07 nm. The nanowires can be fabricated into free-standing and flexible sheets by suction filtration. The electrical conductivity of the SVO nanowires is 0.5 S/cm, compared to 0.08 S/cm for the V2O5 nanowires. The Li ion diffusion coefficient in the SVO nanowires was 7 times higher than that in the V2O5 nanowires. An electrochromic device was fabricated from the SVO nanowires that displayed a color-switching time of 0.2 s from the bleached state (green) to the colored state (red-brown) and 60% transmittance contrast.

Polycrystalline graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on metals and transferred onto arbitrary substrates has line defects and disruptions such as wrinkles, ripples, and folding that adversely affect graphene transport properties through the scattering of the charge carriers. It is found that graphene assembled with metal nanowires (NWs) dramatically decreases the resistance of graphene films. Graphene/NW films with a sheet resistance comparable to that of the intrinsic resistance of graphene have been obtained and tested as a transparent electrode replacing indium tin oxide films in electrochromic (EC) devices. The successful integration of such graphene/NW films into EC devices demonstrates their potential for a wide range of optoelectronic device applications.

Lightweight artificial muscle fibers that can match the large tensile stroke of natural muscles have been elusive. In particular, low stroke, limited cycle life, and inefficient energy conversion have combined with high cost and hysteretic performance to restrict practical use. In recent years, a new class of artificial muscles, based on highly twisted fibers, has emerged that can deliver more than 2,000 J/kg of specific work during muscle contraction, compared with just 40 J/kg for natural muscle. Thermally actuated muscles made from ordinary polymer fibers can deliver long-life, hysteresis-free tensile strokes of more than 30% and torsional actuation capable of spinning a paddle at speeds of more than 100,000 rpm. In this perspective, we explore the mechanisms and potential applications of present twisted fiber muscles and the future opportunities and challenges for developing twisted muscles having improved cycle rates, efficiencies, and functionality. We also demonstrate artificial muscle sewing threads and textiles and coiled structures that exhibit nearly unlimited actuation strokes. In addition to robotics and prosthetics, future applications include smart textiles that change breathability in response to temperature and moisture and window shutters that automatically open and close to conserve energy.

The fabrication and characterization of highly flexible textiles are reported. These textiles can harvest thermal energy from temperature gradients in the desirable through‐thickness direction. The tiger yarns containing n‐ and p‐type segments are woven to provide textiles containing n–p junctions. A high power output of up to 8.6 W m−2 is obtained for a temperature difference of 200 °C.

The extremely high thermal conductivity of individual carbon nanotubes, predicted theoretically and observed experimentally, has not yet been achieved for large nanotube assemblies. Resistances at tube-tube interconnections and tube-electrode interfaces have been considered the main obstacles for effective electronic and heat transport. Here we show that, even for infinitely long and perfect nanotubes with well-designed tube-electrode interfaces, excessive radial heat radiation from nanotube surfaces and quenching of phonon modes in large bundles are additional processes that substantially reduce thermal transport along nanotubes. Equivalent circuit simulations and an experimental self-heating 3omega technique were used to determine the peculiarities of anisotropic heat flow and thermal conductivity of single MWNTs, bundled MWNTs and aligned, free-standing MWNT sheets. The thermal conductivity of individual MWNTs grown by chemical vapor deposition and normalized to the density of graphite is much lower (kappa(MWNT) = 600 +/- 100 W m(-1) K(-1)) than theoretically predicted. Coupling within MWNT bundles decreases this thermal conductivity to 150 W m(-1) K(-1). Further decrease of the effective thermal conductivity in MWNT sheets to 50 W m(-1) K(-1) comes from tube-tube interconnections and sheet imperfections like dangling fiber ends, loops and misalignment of nanotubes. Optimal structures for enhancing thermal conductivity are discussed.