EAGER/Collaborative Research: Coaxing Graphene to be Piezoelectric

这个探索性研究（EAGER）项目的早期概念资助的目标是提高对石墨烯的物理理解-石墨烯是原子厚度的最薄的薄片。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，这可能会导致从纳米电子学、高灵敏度传感器、强材料和能量存储设备等一系列应用。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，可以产生电压，反之亦然。因此，本研究的具体研究目标是阐明“如果”和“如何”赋予石墨烯具有压电性（即使它可能不会表现出这种行为……）。先进的量子力学计算和最先进的制造和测试技术将被用来实现这些目标。该项目提出了一个高风险、高回报的概念，如果成功，将在创造多功能材料和使用石墨烯作为具有多种功能（传感和驱动等）的最薄材料方面建立一个新的范例。压电在许多需要传感和驱动的应用中都很重要——例如，压电石墨烯可以用来制造人造肌肉。其他潜在的应用范围从生物医学到太空。参与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多学科领域打下坚实的基础。他们计划通过“哈利波特背后的科学”这一概念向学龄儿童宣传。

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."