The development of communication technology has had great benefits but the detrimental effects of electromagnetic radiation have also become important. There has therefore been growing research on electromagnetic shielding materials that have a wide shielding range, high absorption efficiency and stability. Graphene, a lightweight material with an exceptional electrical conductivity and a large specific surface area, has remarkable potential in this application. We first elucidate the fundamental principles of electromagnetic shielding and the structural characteristics of graphene-based materials while highlighting their unique electromagnetic shielding properties. We also provide an overview of common strategies for changing graphene-based materials including structural modification, heteroatom doping, and their incorporation in composite materials to improve this property. Structural modification can increase the losses of electromagnetic waves by absorption and multiple reflection, and heteroatom doping and incorporation in composite materials can increase the losses by interface polarization and magnetic effects. We also summarize various ways of modifying the materials so that they are lightweight and have a high shielding bandwidth.

In recent years, photothermal-driven desalination has been regarded as one of the most promising methods to solve the global crisis of freshwater scarcity. The solar generation of water vapor (SGWV) is a key process in seawater desalination which uses simple equipment and has a high cost-benefit. Among alternative photothermal conversion materials for a SGWV system, three-dimensional (3D) monolithic carbon-based materials have many advantages, including low cost, good structure control, and high light-harvesting efficiency which gives a high evaporation rate. 3D monolithic carbon-based materials with a high photothermal conversion efficiency are reviewed together with their use in interface SGWV. The working mechanism of SGWV and the classification of SGWV materials are first considered, followed by detailed consideration of 3D monolithic carbon materials, including their design, preparation and working mechanism in SGWV. Finally, both the advantages and disadvantages of 3D monolithic carbon materials with a high photothermal conversion efficiency are examined.

The lithium−sulfur (Li-S) battery is a promising energy storage system because of its high energy density and low cost. However, the shuttling of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) and low conductivity of the S cathode are barriers to its practical application. Fe₂O₃ nanorods were grown on a carbon cloth (Fe₂O₃/CC) by a solvothermal reaction and calcination to obtain a cathode for the battery. The mesoporous structure of the Fe₂O₃ and the CC conducting network facilitates lithium-ion and electron transport. Meanwhile, the nanorod arrangement results in the exposure of more Fe₂O₃ active sites, which improves the adsorption and rapid conversion of LiPSs. As a result, a Li–S cell using a Fe₂O₃/CC cathode has a high capacity of 1250 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.1 C with an excellent life of over 100 cycles with a capacity retention of 67%. It also has a 70% capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 0.2 C. The excellent electrochemical performance of the Fe₂O₃/CC cathode indicates its potential applications in Li-S batteries.