Stiffening graphene by controlled defect creation

Graphene extraordinary strength, stiffness and lightness have generated great expectations towards its application in flexible electronics and as mechanical reinforcement agent. However, the presence of lattice defects, unavoidable in sheets obtained by scalable routes, might degrade its mechanical properties. Here we report a systematic study on the elastic modulus and strength of graphene with controlled density of defects. Counter intuitively, the in-plane Young modulus increases with increasing defect density up to almost twice the initial value for vacancy content of ~0.2%, turning it into the stiffest material ever reported. For higher density of vacancies, elastic modulus decreases with defect inclusion. The initial increase in Young modulus is explained in terms of a dependence of the elastic coefficients with the momentum of flexural modes predicted for 2D membranes. In contrast, the fracture strength decreases with defect density according to standard fracture continuum models. These quantitative structure-property relationships, measured in atmospheric conditions, are of fundamental and technological relevance and provide guidance for applications in which graphene mechanics represents a disruptive improvement.