The control of geometric shapes is well acknowledged as one of the facile routes to regulate properties of graphene. Here, we conduct a theoretical study on the evaporation-driven self-folding of a single piece of graphene nanoribbon that is immersed inside a liquid droplet prior, and demonstrate the folded pattern, which is significantly affected by the surface wettability gradient of the graphene nanoribbon. On the basis of energy competition among elastic bending deformation, liquid–graphene interaction and van der Waals force interaction of folded nanoribbons, we propose a theoretical mechanics model to quantitatively probe the relationship among self-folding, surface wettability gradient, and pattern and size of ultimate folded graphene. Full-scale molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed to validate the energy competition and the self-folded patterns, and the results show good agreement with theoretical analyses. This study sheds novel insight on folding graphene nanoribbons by leveraging surface wettability and will serve as a theoretical guidance for the controllable shape design of graphene nanoribbons.
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February 2018
Research-Article
Self-Folding Mechanics of Surface Wettability Patterned Graphene Nanoribbons by Liquid Evaporation
Yue Zhang,
Yue Zhang
Department of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering,
University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, VA 22904
Aerospace Engineering,
University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, VA 22904
Search for other works by this author on:
Qingchang Liu,
Qingchang Liu
Department of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering,
University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, VA 22904
Aerospace Engineering,
University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, VA 22904
Search for other works by this author on:
Baoxing Xu
Baoxing Xu
Department of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering,
University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, VA 22904
e-mail: bx4c@virginia.edu
Aerospace Engineering,
University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, VA 22904
e-mail: bx4c@virginia.edu
Search for other works by this author on:
Yue Zhang
Department of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering,
University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, VA 22904
Aerospace Engineering,
University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, VA 22904
Qingchang Liu
Department of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering,
University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, VA 22904
Aerospace Engineering,
University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, VA 22904
Baoxing Xu
Department of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering,
University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, VA 22904
e-mail: bx4c@virginia.edu
Aerospace Engineering,
University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, VA 22904
e-mail: bx4c@virginia.edu
Contributed by the Applied Mechanics Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF APPLIED MECHANICS. Manuscript received September 19, 2017; final manuscript received November 29, 2017; published online December 20, 2017. Assoc. Editor: Kyung-Suk Kim.
J. Appl. Mech. Feb 2018, 85(2): 021006 (9 pages)
Published Online: December 20, 2017
Article history
Received:
September 19, 2017
Revised:
November 29, 2017
Citation
Zhang, Y., Liu, Q., and Xu, B. (December 20, 2017). "Self-Folding Mechanics of Surface Wettability Patterned Graphene Nanoribbons by Liquid Evaporation." ASME. J. Appl. Mech. February 2018; 85(2): 021006. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4038683
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