Page 129 - Read Online

Zheng et al. Soft Sci. 2026, 6, 32 Page 19 of 57

two-dimensional materials, providing a novel material platform for building high-performance smart
textiles. Through techniques like wet-spinning, these fibers successfully transfer tiny intrinsic features to
macroscopic fiber structures in addition to inheriting graphene’s high conductivity, strength, remarkable
flexibility, and outstanding biocompatibility. Thereby, it allows for versatile structural designs and highly
tunable performance.

Because of their low density, great mechanical flexibility, and resilience to repetitive deformation,
graphene-based conductive fibers better satisfy the basic needs of textiles: much more lightweight, flexible,
and breathable than conventional metallic wires or surface-composite conductive fibers. As a result, their use
in smart textiles has quickly spread across a number of functional domains, such as flexible sensing and
actuation systems, fiber-based energy storage devices, and lightweight wearable electronics, exposing
enormous research value and application promise. With an emphasis on clarifying their structure-property
correlations and performance characteristics within various functional systems, this section methodically
evaluates significant application breakthroughs of graphene-based conductive fibers in smart textiles.

Adaptable energy harvesting and storage
Fiber-based energy storage and harvesting devices have arisen in response to the pressing need for flexible,
lightweight, and integrated power supply systems in wearable electronics. Graphene-based conductive fibers
are now the perfect electrode materials for building high-performance fiber-based energy devices because of
their intrinsic high conductivity, huge specific surface area, superior mechanical flexibility, and customizable
electrochemical activity. Their main uses are fiber-based batteries, fiber-based triboelectric nanogenerators
(TENGs), and fiber-based supercapacitors. They push the development of smart textiles toward
self-powered, multipurpose integration by integrating into textile processes.

GFs can directly function as core electrodes in fiber-based supercapacitors. Micro/nano-structural design
and interfacial engineering optimization are critical for improving performance. For example, Wu et al. used
interfacial chemical bonding and microfluidic self-assembly to create MoS /porous graphene core-shell
2
microfibers . Strong interfacial interaction and hierarchical pore architecture allowed these fibers to attain
[97]
high areal capacitance and exceptional cycling stability. Additionally, fibrous electrodes’ mechanical
robustness is essential for useful wearable applications. As seen in Figure 7D, the GO/carbon fiber composite
electrode created by Zhang et al. showed remarkable mechanical-electrochemical coupling stability, retaining
a high capacitance retention of 99.58% after withstanding a 30 kPa surface load and 15,000 cycles .
[91]

GFs are mostly used as flexible, highly conductive scaffolds or current collectors in the field of fiber-based
batteries. Performance can be further improved by optimizing structural design and compositing with other
active materials. For example, carbon nanofibers (CNFs) vertically enter graphene sheets in a
three-dimensional interpenetrating network created by Liu et al. . This produces high specific capacity and
[98]
exceptional rate performance by successfully preventing graphene stacking and offering continuous electrical
and ionic transport channels. Huang et al. greatly improved reaction kinetics and cycling stability in
lithium-sulfur batteries by implanting active materials into GF cavities and enhancing polysulfide anchoring
by interfacial engineering . At high sulfur loading, the constructed pouch cell reached an areal capacity of
[92]
5.8 mAh·cm [Figure 7E]. Additionally, GFs are a great catalytic support for metal-air batteries. Zeolitic
-2
imidazolate framework (ZIF)-derived bimetallic doped Co nanoparticles were enclosed in pleated graphene
nanoroll fibers by Zhang et al. . The built zinc-air battery was able to accomplish stable cycling for up to
[99]
1,140 h with good low-temperature adaptability thanks to the special tubular channels and pleated
construction that avoided active component agglomeration and optimized electronic structure.