Sulphur-doped graphene was fluorinated using molecular fluorine (F₂). First, the fluorination conditions were adapted in order to be mild enough to maintain S in the carbon lattice and form S-F bonds. An unusually weakened C-F bonding for an F/C ratio of 0.71 was then achieved, which allowed enhanced performances when used as a cathode in primary lithium batteries. The material prepared at a moderate fluorination temperature of 70 °C for a period of 60 min exhibits a high mid-discharge reduction potential of 3.11 V at 10 mA/g and a power density of 3605 W/kg at a discharge rate of 2C. These electrochemical properties make the fluorine/sulfur co-doped graphene a promising material.

A graphite-mediated microwave-based strategy was used for solid-state exfoliation of graphite fluoride in a few seconds, followed by a simple yet efficient separation to obtain exfoliated materials based on the density difference between graphite and graphene fluoride in solvent. The microwave-exfoliated graphene fluoride was a few layers thick and electrically conductive. The electrochemical testing of pouch-cell supercapacitors assembled by using the exfoliated graphene fluoride electrodes and a novel microemulsion-based electrolyte showed reasonable performance with typical electrical double-layer capacitance behavior and good rate capability (gravimetric specific capacitance: 3.2 F g⁻¹ at 500 mA g⁻¹ and 3.1 F g⁻¹ at 5000 mA g⁻¹). The BET specific surface areas of the as-exfoliated graphene fluoride are ~60–80 m² g⁻¹, which could be increased by activation using this simple yet versatile microwave-based method for further improvements on the electrochemical performance.

Fullerenes, with well-defined molecular structures and high scalability, hold promise as fundamental building blocks for creating novel carbon materials. The fabrication and transfer of large-area films with precisely controlled thicknesses and morphologies on desired surfaces are crucial for designing and developing new fullerene-based materials and devices. In this work, for the first time, we present strategies for solid-state transferring C60 molecular nanometre-thin films, with dimensions of centimetres in lateral size and thicknesses controlled in the range of 1–20 nm, onto various substrates. Furthermore, we have successfully fabricated centimetre-wide graphene/C60/graphene heterostructures through layer-by-layer stacking of C60 and graphene films. This transfer methodology is versatile, allowing for the complete transfer of chemically modified C60 films, including oxygenated C60 films and C60Pdn organometallic polymer films. Additionally, direct solid-state transfer of C60 and C60Pdn films onto electrode surfaces has enabled their electrocatalytic performance for the hydrogen evolution reaction to be probed directly. This thin-film transfer strategy facilitates the facile preparation and transfer of large-area C60 films, offering a distinct platform for fullerene chemistry and experimental synthesis of novel carbon structures.

We report a simple and scalable solution-based strategy for producing pristine C60-decorated hybrid materials via rapid solvent mixing. Uniform C60 attachment on exfoliated few-layer graphene was achieved, and the parameters affecting C60/graphene hybrid formation were examined to identify optimal conditions for homogeneous decoration. The approach was further extended to synthesize a C60/nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide hybrid, which showed enhanced capacitance compared with pristine nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide, with charge-storage performance tunable through the C60 to nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide ratio. This method was also applied to hybridize C60 with single-walled carbon nanotubes, boron nitride, and molybdenum disulfide. The ability to rapidly and reliably produce diverse C60-based hybrids enables the design and synthesis of novel nanomaterials.