Folding of multi-layer graphene sheets induced by van der Waals interaction

Graphene sheets are extremely flexible, and thus small forces, such as van der Waals interaction, can induce significant out-of-plane deformation, such as folding. Folded graphene sheets show racket shaped edges, which can significantly affect the electrical properties of graphene. In this paper, we present combined theoretical and computational studies to reveal the folding behavior of multi-layer graphene sheets. A nonlinear theoretical model is established to determine the critical length of multilayer graphene sheets for metastable and stable folding, and to accurately predict the shapes of folded edges. These results all show good agreement with those obtained by molecular dynamics simulations.