Graphene's piezoelectric promise

January 5, 2012

Engineers predict that graphene can be coaxed into acting piezoelectric, merely by punching triangular holes into the material.

Graphene, the ultra-durable that holds promise for a range of applications, has yet another trick up its single-atom-thick sleeve.

Engineers at the University of Houston have used quantum mechanical calculations to show that, merely by creating holes of a certain configuration in a sheet of graphene, they can coax graphene into behaving like a . Piezoelectric substances generate electricity in response to physical pressure, and vice versa, and scientists can use these materials for applications such as energy harvesting and , as well as to make precise .

Graphene itself is not naturally piezoelectric. But the Houston engineers reasoned that if they took either a semiconducting or form of graphene, punched triangle-shaped holes into it, and applied a uniform pressure to the material, they could make that material act as though it were piezoelectric.

The team's calculations showed that triangular holes did indeed result in piezoelectric behavior, while circular holes – as they predicted – did not. They also found that graphene's pseudo-piezoelectricity was almost as strong as that of well-known piezoelectric substances such as quartz. The authors suggest that triangular pores could be created in real graphene using electron-beam radiation in a lab, which means these calculations can be tested using existing methods.

"Nature has dealt humankind … a very limited choice of effective electromechanical materials" that exhibit piezoelectricity, write the authors in their paper, accepted to the AIP's Applied Physics Letters. Adding graphene to the list "could potentially open new avenues" of use, both for graphene and for applications that rely on piezoelectricity.

More information: "Coaxing graphene to be piezoelectric" is accepted for publication in Applied Physics Letters.

Journal reference: Applied Physics Letters search and more info website

Provided by American Institute of Physics


Rank 5 /5 (1 vote)
Relevant PhysicsForums posts
  • How to determine the flexural rigidity of a composite
    created2 hours ago
  • microstructure of titanium
    createdMay 26, 2012
  • Steam in My Espresso Machine
    createdMay 26, 2012
  • Density question
    createdMay 24, 2012
  • Mass transport originating from a point source at a solid gas interface
    createdMay 22, 2012
  • Ammonia dispersion in Air
    createdMay 22, 2012
  • More from Physics Forums - Materials & Chemical Engineering

More news stories

Stunning image of smallest possible five-ringed structure

Scientists have created and imaged the smallest possible five-ringed structure – about 100,000 times thinner than a human hair – and you'll probably recognise its shape.

Nanotechnology / Nanophysics

created 1 hour ago | popularity 4.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

'Unzipped' carbon nanotubes could help energize fuel cells, batteries

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes riddled with defects and impurities on the outside could replace some of the expensive platinum catalysts used in fuel cells and metal-air batteries, according to scientists at ...

Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials

created 7 hours ago | popularity 1 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Dopant gives graphene solar cells highest efficiency yet

(Phys.org) -- By taking advantage of graphene’s favorable electrical and optical properties, and then adding an organic dopant, researchers have achieved the highest power conversion efficiency yet for ...

Nanotechnology / Nanophysics

created May 21, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (10) | comments 14 | with audio podcast feature

In nanorod crystal growth, nanoparticles seen as artificial atoms

In the growth of crystals, do nanoparticles act as "artificial atoms" forming molecular-type building blocks that can assemble into complex structures? This is the contention of a major but controversial theory ...

Nanotechnology / Nanophysics

created May 24, 2012 | popularity 4.8 / 5 (6) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

First direct observation of oriented attachment in nanocrystal growth

Berkeley Lab researchers have reported the first direct observation of nanoparticles undergoing oriented attachment, the critical step in biomineralization and the growth of nanocrystals. A better understanding ...

Nanotechnology / Nanophysics

created May 24, 2012 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast


Change in developmental timing was crucial in the evolutionary shift from dinosaurs to birds: study

At first glance, it's hard to see how a common house sparrow and a Tyrannosaurus Rex might have anything in common. After all, one is a bird that weighs less than an ounce, and the other is a dinosaur that ...

Computer model used to pinpoint prime materials for efficient carbon capture

When power plants begin capturing their carbon emissions to reduce greenhouse gases – and to most in the electric power industry, it's a question of when, not if – it will be an expensive undertaking.

T cells 'hunt' parasites like animal predators seek prey, study shows

By pairing an intimate knowledge of immune-system function with a deep understanding of statistical physics, a cross-disciplinary team at the University of Pennsylvania has arrived at a surprising finding: T cells use a movement ...

Land and sea species differ in climate change response: study

(Phys.org) -- Marine and terrestrial species will likely differ in their responses to climate warming, new research by Simon Fraser University and Australia’s University of Tasmania has found.

Yale study concludes public apathy over climate change unrelated to science literacy

Are members of the public divided about climate change because they don't understand the science behind it? If Americans knew more basic science and were more proficient in technical reasoning, would public consensus match ...

10 million years needed to recover from mass extinction

It took some 10 million years for Earth to recover from the greatest mass extinction of all time, latest research has revealed.