Ultralight, ultrastrong, and supertough graphene aerogel metamaterials combining with multi-functionalities are promising for future military and domestic applications. However, the unsatisfactory mechanical performances and lack of the multiscale structural regulation still impede the development of graphene aerogels. Herein, we demonstrate a laser-engraving strategy toward graphene meta-aerogels (GmAs) with unusual characters. As the prerequisite, the nanofiber-reinforced networks convert the graphene walls’ deformation from the microscopic buckling to the bulk deformation during the compression process, ensuring the highly elastic, robust, and stiff nature. Accordingly, laser-engraving enables arbitrary regulation on the macro-configurations of GmAs with rich geometries and appealing characteristics such as large stretchability of 5400% reversible elongation, ultralight specific weight as small as 0.1 mg cm−3, and ultrawide Poisson’s ratio range from −0.95 to 1.64. Additionally, incorporating specific components into the pre-designed meta-structures could further achieve diversified functionalities.

The ever-increasing demand on developing layered materials for practical applications, such as electrochemical energy storage, responsive materials, nanofluidics, and environmental remediation, requires the profound understanding and artful exploitation of interlayer engineering or intercalation chemistry. The past decade has witnessed the massive exploration of a recently discovered 2D materialtransition metal carbides, carbonitrides, and nitrides (referred to as MXenes), which began to take hold of a myriad of applications owing to the abundant possibilities on their compositions and intercalation states. However, application-targeted manipulation of the material performance of MXenes is constrained by the dearth of deep comprehension on fundamental intercalation chemistry/physics. To this end, the aim of this review is to provide a holistic discussion on the intercalation chemistry in MXenes and the physical properties of MXene intercalation compounds. On the basis of this, potential solutions for the challenges confronted in the synthesis, tuning of material properties, and practical applications are proposed, which are also expected to reinvigorate the exploration of layered materials that are similar to MXenes.

Lightweight, thin electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding film materials with high shielding effectiveness and good mechanical performance are highly required for flexible and portable electronics. Two-dimensional titanium carbide (Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene) has a great potential to meet these requirements because of the easy fabrication of ultrathin conductive films via solution processing. However, the production of strong pristine MXene films is still challenged by the presence of voids and wrinkles, as well as inferior flake alignment. In this work, high-performance pristine MXene films are produced by a spatially confined evaporation approach with controlled wet film thickness. When the cast dispersion layer is sufficiently thin, the skin effect is suppressed during evaporation, producing films with improved flake alignment and much fewer structural defects. As a result, the pristine MXene films deliver an ultrahigh tensile strength of 707 MPa and a high modulus of 66 GPa, together with a high electrical conductivity of 16600 S cm −1 . The high conductivity and intrinsic laminated structure endow the MXene films with superior EMI shielding performance in X-band (48.4 dB and 1.3 × 10 5 dB cm −2 g −1 for 1.0 μm thick films), being among the highest values reported.