A lithium battery cathode layer comprising multiple particles or coating of a cathode active material and a solid graphene foam composed of multiple pores and pore walls, wherein (a) the pore walls contain a pristine graphene material having less than 0.01% by weight of non-carbon elements or a non-pristine graphene material having 0.01% to 5% by weight of non-carbon elements; (b) the cathode active material is selected from a metal fluoride or metal chloride, has a size from 1 nm to 10 μm, and is in an amount from 0.5% to 99% by weight based on the total weight of said graphene foam and the cathode active material combined; and (c) some of the multiple pores are lodged with the particles or coating of the cathode active material.