Mechanical and structural properties and devices articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    Improving mass transfer through hierarchically porous synthetic materials is a great challenge. Here the authors address this by expanding the original Murray’s law, a biomimetic principle defining the branching of veins in living structures.

    • Binghan Zhou
    • , Qian Cheng
    •  & Tawfique Hasan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    To maximize composite reinforcing efficiency, a semi-infinite reinforcement should be aligned in the matrix. Here, the authors report a float-stacking strategy for graphene-PMMA laminate with precisely aligned monolayer graphene in a polymer matrix.

    • Seung-Il Kim
    • , Ji-Yun Moon
    •  & Jae-Hyun Lee

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here, the authors report a study of the structural properties of intercalated alkali metals in bilayer graphene and graphite via low-voltage scanning transmission electron microscopy, providing mechanistic insights for the development of energy storage applications.

    • Yung-Chang Lin
    • , Rika Matsumoto
    •  & Kazu Suenaga

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Uncontrolled dendrite growth and severe side reactions at high capacities and rates impede its practical application for zinc metal anodes. Here, the authors propose a composite zinc anode with 3D hierarchical graphene matrix as a multifunctional host to regulate zinc deposition for aqueous zinc batteries.

    • Yongbiao Mu
    • , Zheng Li
    •  & Lin Zeng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Structural superlubricity (SSL) is a state of nearly zero friction and no wear between two contacted solid surfaces. Here, authors show that, by preventing edge contact with the substrate, a microscale graphite flake can achieve robust SSL against nanostructured silicon surfaces under ambient condition.

    • Xuanyu Huang
    • , Tengfei Li
    •  & Quanshui Zheng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Separation of actinides from lanthanides is very important for the safe management of nuclear waste, however still challenging due to the chemical complexity of the f-elements. Here, authors report an efficient strategy with graphene oxide membranes for ion sieving of high valent actinyl ions and spherical lanthanide ions.

    • Zhipeng Wang
    • , Liqin Huang
    •  & Chao Xu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In twisted 2D materials, spontaneous lattice reconstructions mean that twist angle alone provides an incomplete description. Here, using electron diffraction, the authors show that the displacement field in twisted bilayer graphene can be described as a superposition of three periodic lattice distortion (PLD) waves with wavevectors oriented at 120° from each other, forming a “torsional" PLD.

    • Suk Hyun Sung
    • , Yin Min Goh
    •  & Robert Hovden

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In moiré materials, structural relaxation phenomena can lead to unexpected and novel material properties. Here, the authors characterize an unconventional non-local relaxation process in twisted double trilayer graphene, in which an energy gain in one domain of the moiré lattice is paid for by a relaxation that occurs in the other.

    • Dorri Halbertal
    • , Simon Turkel
    •  & D. N. Basov

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Desorption of ions from sorbents generally involves high acid or base concentrations and long desorption times, especially for multivalent ions. Here the authors report a rapid and efficient desorption of Co2+, Mn2+, and Sr2+ adsorbed on magnetite-graphene oxide that occurs by adding low amounts of Al3+, which is shown to interact with graphene more strongly than divalent ions.

    • Xinming Xia
    • , Feng Zhou
    •  & Haiping Fang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Graphene aerogels are highly porous and have very low density; despite this they also exhibit high mechanical strength. Here the authors present a laser-engraving strategy for producing graphene meta-aerogels with different configurations and properties.

    • Mingmao Wu
    • , Hongya Geng
    •  & Liangti Qu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Despite a promising water harvesting approach solar steam generation low efficiency remains a challenging obstacle. Here, authors present a macro- and microscopically reconfigurable and magnetically responsive assembly towards a dynamic evaporation system with improved performance and salt resistance.

    • Yajie Hu
    • , Hongyun Ma
    •  & Liangti Qu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Graphene oxide nanofiltration membranes with tunable interlayer spacing tend to be either unstable in water or have low water permeation rates. Here the authors report a general synthetic method to achieve ultrafine metal oxide - reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites for dye filtration, achieving high water permeability and selectivity.

    • Wanyu Zhang
    • , Hai Xu
    •  & Donghui Long

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Local variations of twist angle and strain in twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) can produce relevant changes in the electronic properties of the system. Here, high-resolution low energy electron microscopy is used to characterize the spatial and temporal deformations of moiré patterns in TBG at high temperatures, showing the stability of these structures up to 600 ∘C.

    • Tobias A. de Jong
    • , Tjerk Benschop
    •  & Sense Jan van der Molen

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here, the authors investigate the long-range interaction and coalescence mechanism of water and ethanol nanopockets encapsulated in twisted bilayer graphene, showing the complete recovery of moiré patterns after the motion of the contaminants.

    • Yuan Hou
    • , Zhaohe Dai
    •  & Zhong Zhang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Flow through nanometer scale channels facilitates an unmasked study of water-surface molecular interactions. Here, Keerthi et al. show with conduits made from graphite and hexagonal boron nitride that strong hydrophobicity does not rule out enhanced stickiness and friction.

    • Ashok Keerthi
    • , Solleti Goutham
    •  & Boya Radha

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Nonlinear dissipation is frequently observed in nanomechanical resonators, but its microscopic origin remains unclear. Here, nonlinear damping is found to be enhanced in graphene nanodrums close to internal resonance conditions, providing insights on the mechanisms at the basis of this phenomenon.

    • Ata Keşkekler
    • , Oriel Shoshani
    •  & Farbod Alijani

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Covalently 2D-patterning graphene with different chemical functionalities is an attractive way to tailor its physical and chemical properties. Here, the authors realize spatially defined 2D-hetereoarchitectures of graphene via a strategy of molecular embroidering.

    • Tao Wei
    • , Malte Kohring
    •  & Andreas Hirsch

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Vertically stacked graphene oxide sheets are promising structures for molecular sieving technologies. By folding large planar sheets in an accordion-like manner, Liu et al. fabricate a thin robust filter with near-vertically aligned nanochannels geared towards commercial separation membranes.

    • Muchun Liu
    • , Paula J. Weston
    •  & Robert H. Hurt

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Graphene-covering technology provides a promising approach for achieving a non-noble-metal-catalyst with corrosion protection and catalytic activity under acidic media. Here, the authors unveil that the electrochemical hydrogen evolution mechanism is governed by the proton penetration phenomenon.

    • Kailong Hu
    • , Tatsuhiko Ohto
    •  & Yoshikazu Ito

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Atomically thin porous graphene is promising for filtration and sieving applications. Here the authors, using a laser-actuated micro-drum device of bilayer graphene with controlled number of nanopores, and measuring the permeation rate of different gases, show that it can also be used for permeation-based sensing.

    • I. E. Rosłoń
    • , R. J. Dolleman
    •  & P. G. Steeneken

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here, the authors use Raman spectroscopy on circular graphene drums to demonstrate dynamical softening of optical phonons induced by the macroscopic flexural motion of graphene, and find evidence that the strain in graphene is enhanced under non-linear driving.

    • Xin Zhang
    • , Kevin Makles
    •  & Stéphane Berciaud

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Macroscopic architectures of covalent organic frameworks (COF) allow to fully exploit their chemical functionality and porosity but achieving three-dimensional hierarchical porous COF architectures remains challenging. Here, the authors present a COF/reduced graphene oxide aerogel which is synthesized by growing COF during a hydrothermal process along the surface of graphene sheets.

    • Changxia Li
    • , Jin Yang
    •  & Arne Thomas

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Poor mechanical properties of reduced graphene oxide sheets hinder development of flexible energy storage systems. MXene functionalised graphene oxide with Ti-O-C bonding and additional crosslinking is here reported to dramatically increase toughness for flexible supercapacitors.

    • Tianzhu Zhou
    • , Chao Wu
    •  & Qunfeng Cheng

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Contamination of 2D materials adversely impacts device performance and calls for cleaning methods down to the atomic scale and over large areas. Here, the authors present a site-specific mechanical cleaning approach capable of cleaning both sides of suspended 2D membranes and achieving atomically clean areas of several μm2 within minutes.

    • Peter Schweizer
    • , Christian Dolle
    •  & Erdmann Spiecker

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Superlubricity in macro-scale graphitic samples is hampered by commensurate stacking domains that prevent facile sliding between adjacent graphene layers. Here, the authors show the presence of macroscale structural superlubricity between two randomly stacked graphene layers produced by both mechanical exfoliation and CVD upon the imposition of a tensile stress.

    • Charalampos Androulidakis
    • , Emmanuel N. Koukaras
    •  & Costas Galiotis

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Field effect transistors based on graphene hold promise for sensing applications. Here, the authors report a millimeter-sized transistor based on deformed graphene as a biosensor that can detect nucleic acid molecules having detection limit of ~18 molecules of DNA in physiological buffer solution and ~600 molecules in human serum.

    • Michael Taeyoung Hwang
    • , Mohammad Heiranian
    •  & Rashid Bashir

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Here, the authors report water as a superior platform to suspend graphene compared to solid substrates that induce non-uniformity and do not provide structural flexibility. They utilize confocal Raman spectroscopy to study graphene floating freely on the surface of water to show that a liquid support relieves the pre-existing strain.

    • Liubov A. Belyaeva
    • , Lin Jiang
    •  & Grégory F. Schneider

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Reinforcing polymers with carbon-based nanofillers is non-trivial due to incompatibilities between matrix and filler. Here, the authors report highly reinforced graphene oxide–aramid nanocomposites utilizing a water-based hybrid biaxial nematic mixture.

    • Maruti Hegde
    • , Lin Yang
    •  & Theo J. Dingemans

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The extraordinary mechanical properties of graphene are usually measured on very small or supported samples. Here, the authors develop a method to test a large area of graphene and show that even with edge defects it displays near-ideal mechanical performance.

    • Ke Cao
    • , Shizhe Feng
    •  & Yang Lu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Bolometers are highly sensitive instruments that can detect radiant energy. Here, authors report micro-bolometers based on suspended graphene nano-electromechanical membranes that can detect light at room-temperature with a NEP coefficient of 2 pW/Hz^1/2 and bandwidth up to 1.3 MHz.

    • Andrew Blaikie
    • , David Miller
    •  & Benjamín J. Alemán

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy is able to distinguish the contrasts between light elements. Here, the authors directly image the bonding configurations of oxygen and nitrogen atoms in defective graphene, and surprisingly identify instances of unusual triple-coordinated oxygen with three carbon neighbors.

    • Christoph Hofer
    • , Viera Skákalová
    •  & Jannik C. Meyer

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Conventional cooling systems rely on environmentally harmful halocarbons, while alternatives based on solid–solid transitions do not reach the required performance. Here the authors demonstrate using water and alcohol as refrigerants, through their confinement in nanosponges and their release by mechanical pressure.

    • Keita Nomura
    • , Hirotomo Nishihara
    •  & Takashi Kyotani

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Negative Poisson’s ratio, offering unusual properties, is displayed by several materials and predicted for graphene. This work demonstrates such behaviors in monolithic films with interconnected networks of close-packed graphene laminates, and tunability through the chemistry and microstructures.

    • Yeye Wen
    • , Enlai Gao
    •  & Chun Li

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Owing to its atomic thinness, graphene is susceptible to wrinkles and folds. Here, the authors demonstrate controlled wrinkle formation in graphene under uniaxial tension and show that the obtained mosaic patterns can be used as channels for trapping or administering water and other fluids.

    • Maria Giovanna Pastore Carbone
    • , Anastasios C. Manikas
    •  & Costas Galiotis

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Graphene oxide membranes have great potential in separation processes, but small ions rejection needs improvement for large scale applications. Here the authors manipulate the membrane’s surface charge to control selective ion transport, achieving high rejection for A2B and AB2 type salts and maintaining high water permeance.

    • Mengchen Zhang
    • , Kecheng Guan
    •  & Nanping Xu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Graphene oxide (GO) dispersions may be used as starting materials for graphene-based architectures. Here, a malleable and versatile dough state of GO is discovered, completing the GO–water continuum, which can be diluted or converted to glassy GO or graphene solids without long-range stacking order with enhanced mechanical and electrochemical properties

    • Che-Ning Yeh
    • , Haiyue Huang
    •  & Jiaxing Huang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The mechanism of lithium storage in graphenic carbon remains a fundamental question to be addressed. Here the authors employ suitable bilayer graphene foam to investigate various physiochemical phenomena of lithium intercalation and propose a storage model.

    • Kemeng Ji
    • , Jiuhui Han
    •  & Yutaka Oyama

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Silicon-based contaminants are ubiquitous in natural graphite, and they are thus expected to be present in exfoliated graphene. Here, the authors show that such impurities play a non-negligible role in graphene-based devices, and use high-purity parent graphite to boost the performance of graphene sensors and supercapacitor microelectrodes.

    • Rouhollah Jalili
    • , Dorna Esrafilzadeh
    •  & Gordon G. Wallace

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The electro-optical response of suspended graphene membranes measured by change in wavelength-dependent reflectance can enable interferometric modulation display (IMOD) technology. Here, the authors report suspended double layer graphene based IMOD drums with 2500 pixels per inch.

    • Santiago J. Cartamil-Bueno
    • , Dejan Davidovikj
    •  & Samer Houri

  • Article
    | Open Access

    All materials subjected to mechanical deformation form low energy interfaces known as twin boundaries. Here, the authors investigate a variety of structural features that form upon bending atomically thin 2D-crystals, and predict distinct classes of post deformation microstructure based on their atomic arrangement, bend angle and flake thickness.

    • A. P. Rooney
    • , Z. Li
    •  & S. J. Haigh

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Improved compressive elasticity was lately demonstrated for carbon aerogels but the problem of reversible stretchability remained a challenge. Here the authors use a hierarchical structure design and synergistic effects between carbon nanotubes and graphene to achieve high stretchability in carbon aerogels.

    • Fan Guo
    • , Yanqiu Jiang
    •  & Chao Gao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Intrinsic limitations of nanoporous graphene limit its applications in water treatment. Here the authors produce post-treatment-free, low-cost graphene-based membranes from renewable biomass and demonstrate their high water permeance and antifouling properties using real seawater.

    • Dong Han Seo
    • , Shafique Pineda
    •  & Kostya (Ken) Ostrikov

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