Electromechanical robustness of monolayer graphene with extreme bending

We report on the electromechanical robustness of graphene in an extreme condition of deformation: uniaxial bending. A large-angle-bent graphene monolayer was obtained with a predefined template. Structural/mechanical analysis is conducted, followed by electronic transport measurement. Raman spectroscopy analysis suggests negligible strain in the significantly bent graphene, showing mechanical robustness of the two-dimensional carbon nanostructure. The impact on band structure with respect to key deformation parameters (bending angle and curvature radius) were investigated using sp(3) tight-binding simulation. Results show insignificant local band modification at bending locations. Even with extreme deformation, excellent carrier mobility in monolayer graphene is preserved. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3519982]