Anisotropy of Atomic-Scale Peeling of Graphene

• Published in: E-journal of surface science and nanotechnology Vol. 14; pp. 204 - 208
• Main Authors: Sasaki, Naruo, Ando, Takakazu, Masuda, Shingen, Okamoto, Hideaki, Itamura, Noriaki, Miura, Kouji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo The Japan Society of Vacuum and Surface Science 01.01.2016; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Adhesion; Anisotropy; Atomic force microscopy; Computer simulation; Computer simulations; Contact angle; Friction; Graphene; Graphite; Material properties; Mechanics (physics); Nano-scale imaging, measurement, and manipulation technology; Orientation; Peeling; Sliding; Stacking; Substrates; Tribology
• ISSN: 1348-0391; 1348-0391
• DOI: 10.1380/ejssnt.2016.204

Anisotropy of atomic-scale peeling of the monolayer graphene sheet adsorbed onto the graphite substrate surface is numerically studied by molecular mechanics simulation. During the peeling process the surface contact area of the graphene sheet takes atomic-scale sliding behavior, which strongly depends on the initial contact orientation angle θin between the graphene sheet and the graphite surface within the lateral plane. When the initial contact is commensurate AB stacking orientation (θin = 0°), the mean lateral force during the peeling process takes a maximum peak value. However, as the initial orientation angle θin increases (0° < θin ≤ 30°), the effect of the incommensurate contact is further enhanced, and the mean lateral force decreases toward near zero value. At an intermediate incommensurate angle (θin = 9°), the peeled area of the graphene sheet twists around the perpendicular axis during the peeling process since the surface contact area discretely slips toward metastable AB stacking orientation. The above anisotropic sliding mechanics of the graphene sheet appeared during the peeling can be applied to the mechanical control of the material properties of the π-conjugated sheet as a novel device. [DOI: 10.1380/ejssnt.2016.204]