Intrinsic toughening in monolayer amorphous carbon nanocomposites

Despite the superior properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials, their low fracture toughness has limited practical applications. Our study demonstrates intrinsic toughening in monolayer amorphous carbon (MAC) nanocomposites predominantly composed of amorphous phases with small crystalline domains, showing significant enhancements in energy absorption during crack propagation. These improvements are quantitatively investigated through in situ SEM tensile testing and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. This work not only unveils the toughening mechanisms but also introduces an intrinsic toughening strategy for 2D materials, enabling their use in fields requiring robust fracture resistance.

This work is with several international collaborators. For more details, please refer to the link.