Folded graphene oxide flakes clasp together to make a stronger, tougher graphene film

Graphene sheets are very strong in-plane, but in stacked films the layers are held together mainly by weak van der Waals forces and can slide past one another under load. Earlier work improved film strength by better aligning flat sheets. The new approach instead changes the shape of the flakes themselves. According to the researchers, lowering the graphene oxide reaction temperature from room temperature to below freezing produced multilayer graphene oxide flakes with flat, crystalline cores and folded, roughened surfaces. When films are assembled from these flakes, the folds on neighboring flakes clasp together, forming what the team calls a fold-clasping lamellar structure. The team says the folds can be created simply by controlling the reaction temperature.

Researchers from Zhejiang University, Tsinghua University, Changsha University of Science and Technology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Physics have developed graphene films that combine high strength, toughness and elasticity. The team says the films reach a tensile strength of 2.9 GPa, a toughness of 84.5 MJ/m³ and an elastic strain of 5%.Graphene sheets are very strong in-plane, but in stacked films the layers are held together mainly by weak van der Waals forces and can slide past one another under load. Earlier work improved film strength by better aligning flat sheets. The new approach instead changes the shape of the flakes themselves. According to the researchers, lowering the graphene oxide reaction temperature from room temperature to below freezing produced multilayer graphene oxide flakes with flat, crystalline cores and folded, roughened surfaces. When films are assembled from these flakes, the folds on neighboring flakes clasp together, forming what the team calls a fold-clasping lamellar structure. The team says the folds can be created simply by controlling the reaction temperature.

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​Folded graphene oxide flakes clasp together to make a stronger, tougher graphene film

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Folded graphene oxide flakes clasp together to make a stronger, tougher graphene film