On the mechanism of piezoresistance in nanocrystalline graphite

Strain sensors are sensitive to mechanical deformations and enable the detection of strain also within integrated electronics. For flexible displays, the use of a seamlessly integrated strain sensor would be beneficial, and graphene is already in use as a transparent and flexible conductor. However, graphene intrinsically lacks a strong response, and only by engineering defects, such as grain boundaries, one can induce piezoresistivity. Nanocrystalline graphene (NCG), a derivative form of graphene, exhibits a high density of defects in the form of grain boundaries. It holds an advantage over graphene in easily achieving wafer-scale growth with controlled thickness. In this study, we explore the piezoresistivity in thin films of nanocrystalline graphite. Simultaneous measurements of sheet resistance and externally applied strain on NCG placed on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates provide intriguing insights into the underlying mechanism. Raman measurements, in conjunction with strain applied to NCG grown on flexible glass, indicate that the strain is concentrated at the grain boundaries for smaller strain values. For larger strains, mechanisms such as grain rotation and the formation of nanocracks might contribute to the piezoresistive behavior in nanocrystalline graphene.

Numerical investigation of size effects on mechanical behaviors of Fe nanoparticles through an atomistic field theory

At nanoscale, the mechanical response of nanoparticles is largely affected by the particle size. To assess the effects of nanoparticle size (e.g., nanoparticle’s volume, cross-sectional area and length) on mechanical behaviors of bcc Fe nanoparticles under compressive loading, an atomistic field theory was introduced in current study. In the theory, atomistic definitions and continuous local density functions of fundamental physical quantities were derived. Through the atomistic potential-based method, the mechanical responses of bcc Fe nanoparticles were analyzed in different sizes. The simulation results reveal that the ultimate stress decreases as Fe nanoparticle’s volume, cross-sectional area or length increases under compressive loading. Nonetheless, the Young’s modulus increases as nanoparticle size increases. In addition, for a fixed finite volume nanoparticle, this study indicates that the ultimate stress will increase as strain rate increases, but Young’s modulus will decrease with increasing strain rate. A loading–unloading study illustrates the energy dissipation due to irreversible structure changes in Fe nanoparticles.

Grain boundaries guided vibration wave propagation in polycrystalline graphene

Propagation of mechanical stransverse wave in polycrystalline graphene sheet.