Mechanical properties of grafold: a demonstration of strengthened graphene

Morphological patterns and structural features play crucial roles in the physical properties of functional materials. In this paper, the mechanical properties of grafold, an architecture of folded graphene nanoribbon, are investigated via molecular dynamics simulations and intriguing features are discovered. In contrast to graphene, grafold is found to develop large deformations upon both tensile and compressive loading along the longitudinal direction. The tensile deformation is plastic, whereas the compressive deformation is elastic and reversible within the strain range investigated. The calculated Young's modulus, tensile strength, and fracture strain are comparable to those of graphene, while the compressive strength and strain are much higher than those of graphene. The length, width, and folding number of grafold have distinctive impacts on the mechanical performance. These unique behaviors render grafold a promising material for advanced mechanical applications.