title: Bending properties of single functionalized graphene sheets probed by atomic force microscopy.
abstract: We probe the bending characteristics of functionalized graphene sheets with the tip of an atomic force microscope. Individual sheets are transformed from a flat into a folded configuration. Sheets can be reversibly folded and unfolded multiple times, and the folding always occurs at the same location. This observation suggests that the folding and bending behavior of the sheets is dominated by pre-existing kink (or even fault) lines consisting of defects and/or functional groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
authors.forename: Hannes C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Schniepp
authors.forename: Konstantin N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Kudin
authors.forename: Je-Luen
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Robert K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Prud'homme
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Car
authors.forename: Dudley A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Saville
authors.forename: Ilhan A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Aksay
mesh_terms: D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008958:Models, Molecular; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology
chemical_list: D006108:Graphite