EAGER/Collaborative Research: Coaxing Graphene to be Piezoelectric

EARLY概念探索性研究资助（EAGER）项目的目标是提高对石墨烯的物理理解-原子厚度的最薄可能薄片。除了其卓越的机械强度外，石墨烯还具有诱人的电子，磁性和光学特性，这些特性可能会导致许多应用，包括纳米电子学，高灵敏度传感器，坚固的材料和储能设备等。石墨烯缺少的一个特性是所谓的“压电性”，当材料发生机械变形时，它允许产生电压，反之亦然。因此，本研究的具体研究目标是阐明石墨烯“是否”和“如何”被赋予压电性（即使它可能不会表现出这种行为......）。该项目提出了一个高风险高回报的概念，如果成功，将建立一个新的范例，创造多功能材料，并将石墨烯作为最薄的材料，能够实现各种功能，包括传感和驱动等。 压电在许多需要传感和驱动的应用中非常重要-例如，压电石墨烯可用于制造人造肌肉。 其他潜在的应用范围从生物医学到太空。从事该项目的研究生和本科生将在纳米技术、计算材料科学和力学等高度多学科领域奠定坚实的基础。计划通过“哈利波特背后的科学”的概念接触到学童。"

The objective of this EArly-Concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) project is to improve physical understanding of Graphene - the thinnest possible sheet of just atomic thickness. In addition to its remarkable mechanical strength, Graphene has tantalizing electronic, magnetic, and optical properties which could lead to a host of applications ranging from nanoelectronics, highly sensitive sensors, strong materials and energy storage devices among others. One property missing from Graphene is the so-called "piezoelectricity," which allows a voltage to be developed when a material is mechanically deformed and vice-versa. Thus the specific research objective of this investigation is to elucidate "if" and "how" Graphene can be endowed with piezoelectricity (even though it may not be expected to exhibit such behavior ...). Advanced quantum mechanical calculations and state-of-the-art fabrication and testing techniques will be employed to realize such goals.This project puts forth a high-risk high-payoff concept and, if successful, will establish a new paradigm in creating multifunctional materials and the use of Graphene as the thinnest material capable of a variety of functions - sensing and actuation, among others. Piezoelectricity is important in a host of applications where both sensing and actuation are needed - piezoelectric Graphene, for example, could be used to create artificial muscles. Other potential applications range from biomedical to space. Graduate and undergraduate students working on the project will develop a strong foundation in the highly multidisciplinary areas of nanotechnology, computational materials science and mechanics. Plans are in place to reach out to school-children through the concept of "Science behind Harry Potter."