Mechanical behaviour of kirigami graphene under shear loading

Graphene has great potential to be used in flexible electronics owing to its novel physical and electronic properties, and super-high mechanical strength. However, its small mechanical strain is unable to meet the needs for most flexible and stretchable device applications where large deformation occurs. Kirigami is one of the useful techniques to increase the flexibility of graphene under deformation. In this study, we investigate the shear flexibility of kirigami graphene under shear loading by using molecular dynamics simulations. We found that kirigami is very efficient in modulating the shear properties of graphene. With the trade-off between strength and flexibility, the shear flexibility of kirigami graphene can be improved significantly. The flexibility can be further improved by using longer interior cuts. Our results indicate that kirigami can be a promising technique to manipulate the shear properties of graphene and other two-dimensional nanomaterials.