Researchers Create Stretchable, Composite Layered 2D Materials

Composite 2D materials are composed of atom-thick layers of a hard material, such as graphene or MXene — typically a transition metal carbide, nitride, or carbonitride — divided by layers of something to bind the layers together. While big portions of graphene or MXenes have bulk properties, the resilience of 2D composites comes from interfacial properties.

He also mentioned that the materials could have distinctive thermal conduction regimes or properties that dispersed heat more firmly in one direction than at 90°. The findings of this study were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on July 25th, 2022.

Demirel says, “This material would be great for insoles for running shoes. It could cool the foot and the repeated flexing would not break the insole.”

These two-dimensional composites have the potential to be used for flexible circuit boards, wearable devices, and other devices that requires flexibility and strength.

Conventional continuum theory, according to Demirel, does not clarify why these materials are both durable and resilient, but simulations show that the interface is important. When a higher percentage of the material is composed of the interface, the interface appears to break in places when the material is stressed, but the material as a whole does not break.

Demirel adds, “The interface breaks, but the material doesn’t. We expected them to become compliant, but all of a sudden it is not only compliant, but super stretchy.”