Disordering of Graphene Nanoplatelet, Carbon Nanotube And C60 Fullerene Under Shear Stress

Abstract

Carbon nanomaterials typically possess excellent mechanical properties, enabling them to withstand extreme physical environments. However, the response of different nanostructures under shear stress has not yet been experimentally investigated. Here we use rotational diamond anvil cells (rDAC) to apply pressure and shear on three carbon nanomaterials – graphene nanoplatelets (GNP), multi-wall carbon nanotubes (CNT), and C60 fullerene – and study their structural evolution using Raman spectroscopy and electron microscopy. Detailed analysis revealed that different materials exhibit different changes in their intrinsic structure. Specifically, a large number of defects appeared in GNP, CNT broke down into graphene fragments with pronounced lattice strain, and C60 completely transformed into amorphous carbon. The most compelling discovery is the remarkably high degree of amorphization process in C60 at room temperature, companied by an sp3 hybridization fraction reaching 25.7%. Our results highlight the profound impact of shear stress on the stability of carbon-based nanomaterials, providing new insights into their mechanical behavior, potential limitations in practical applications, and offering a new strategy to regulate these materials who has the strongest covalent bonds.

Keywords: carbon nanomaterials, high pressure, shear stress, sp2-sp3, amorphous carbon