Graphene-based Bimorphs for Micron-sized Autonomous Origami Machines

Award Abstract # 1435829

DMREF/Collaborative Research: Graphene Based Origami and Kirigami Metamaterials

NSF Org:	DMR Division Of Materials Research
Awardee:	CORNELL UNIVERSITY
Initial Amendment Date:	August 15, 2014
Latest Amendment Date:	September 6, 2018
Award Number:	1435829
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Eva Campo DMR Division Of Materials Research MPS Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien
Start Date:	September 1, 2014
End Date:	August 31, 2019 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount:	$1,000,000.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date:	$1,199,999.00
Funds Obligated to Date:	FY 2014 = $1,000,000.00 FY 2018 = $199,999.00
History of Investigator:	Paul McEuen (Principal Investigator) plm23@cornell.edu Itai Cohen (Co-Principal Investigator)
Awardee Sponsored Research Office:	Cornell University 373 Pine Tree Road Ithaca NY US 14850-2820 (607)255-5014
Sponsor Congressional District:	23
Primary Place of Performance:	Cornell University 142 Sciences Drive Ithaca NY US 14853-2501
Primary Place of Performance Congressional District:	23
DUNS ID:	872612445
Parent DUNS ID:	002254837
NSF Program(s):	DMREF
Primary Program Source:	040100 NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 040100 NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s):	054Z, 8400, 9177
Program Element Code(s):	8292
Award Agency Code:	4900
Fund Agency Code:	4900
Assistance Listing Number(s):	47.049

ABSTRACT

Graphene-Based Origami and Kirigami Metamaterials

Non-Technical Description: The paper arts of origami and kirigami ('ori' = fold, 'kiri' = cut) provide a powerful framework to design responsive and tunable new materials. For example, a simple series of cuts can turn a sheet of paper into an accordion-like spring, or a sequence of folds can convert it into a swan. Indeed, many biological tissues develop folds and cuts reminiscent of origami and kirigami that endow them with distinct and useful mechanical properties. The seemingly limitless number of forms that can be created speaks to the potential of exploiting such design principles for materials beyond paper. This project will extend these design ideas to the microscale using graphene, an atomically thin two dimensional material, as the nanoscale paper foundation. Lithographic techniques borrowed from the semiconductor industry will be used to pattern the graphene, and a variety of approaches will be employed to create folds, all chosen to realize a specific mechanical property. The focus is on creating mechanical 'metamaterials' - materials whose properties reflect the patterns of folds and cuts rather than the properties of the underlying paper. With room temperature applications in mind, the theoretical effort will focus on the crucial role of thermally-activated Brownian motion in determining the material properties of graphene monolayers with cuts and folds. This paper-arts-inspired strategy has the potential to fundamentally transform the way materials are designed for the micro-world and could find applications in areas ranging from micro-robotics to mechanical sensors and actuators that mimic biologically 'active' tissues.

Technical Description: Using lithographic techniques, graphene sheets will be perforated and cut to create modules with prescribed mechanical properties. These modules will be assembled to create mechanical meta-materials whose response to applied stresses, temperature, and other environmental signals can be tailored. The project focuses on the following interrelated goals: (a) Experimentally testing current predictions for graphene's thermomechanical properties and their dependence on geometry and boundary conditions; (b) Creating a library of mechanically programmable modular units out of cut graphene sheets; (c) Designing meta-materials assembled out of the basic graphene kirigami and origami modules to achieve a particular function; (d) Creating a theory of thermally excited atomically thin membranes with cuts and folds, to guide experiments and improve understanding of the basic principles. These goals will form the cornerstone for building a general-purpose open source design tool that can be used by engineers to assemble materials out of the origami and kirigami based modules, simulate their mechanical properties, and allow for iterative design work flows. This tool will be used to promote rapid materials discovery, development, and property optimization of atomic membrane origami and kirigami metamaterials.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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Bin Liu, Jesse L. Silverberg, Arthur A. Evans, Christian D. Santangelo, Robert J. Lang, Thomas C. Hull & Itai Cohen "Topological kinematics of origami metamaterials" Nature Physics , v.14 , 2018 , p.811 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-018-0150-8

Marc Z. Miskin, Kyle Dorsey, Baris Bircan, Yimo Han, David Muller, Paul McEuen, Itai Cohen "Graphene-based bimorphs for micron-sized, autonomous origami machines." Proceedings of the National Academy of Science , v.115 , 2017 , p.466 t www.pnas.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10. 1073/pnas.1712889115/-/DCSupplemental.

Ran Niu, Chrisy Xiyu Du, Edward Esposito, Jakin Ng, Michael P. Brenner, Paul L. McEuen, and Itai Cohen "Magnetic handshake materials as a scale-invariant platform for programmed self-assembly" PNAS , v.116 , 2019 , p.24402 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1910332116

Miskin, Marc Z., Kyle J. Dorsey, Baris Bircan, Yimo Han, David A. Muller, Paul L. McEuen, and Itai Cohen. "Graphene-based bimorphs for micron-sized, autonomous origami machines." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , v.115 , 2018 , p.466 https://www.pnas.org/content/115/3/466

Moshe, Michael, Edward Esposito, Suraj Shankar, Baris Bircan, Itai Cohen, David R. Nelson, and Mark J. Bowick. "Kirigami mechanics as stress relief by elastic charges" Physical review letters , v.122 , 2019 , p.048001

Dorsey, Kyle J., Tanner G. Pearson, Edward Esposito, Sierra Russell, Baris Bircan, Yimo Han, Marc Z. Miskin, David A. Muller, Itai Cohen, and Paul L. McEuen "Atomic Layer Deposition for Membranes, Metamaterials, and Mechanisms." Advanced Materials , 2019 , p.1901944

Moshe, Michael, Edward Esposito, Suraj Shankar, Baris Bircan, Itai Cohen, David R. Nelson, and Mark J. Bowick "Nonlinear mechanics of thin frames" Physical Review E , v.99 , 2019 , p.013002

Liu, Bin, Jesse L. Silverberg, Arthur A. Evans, Christian D. Santangelo, Robert J. Lang, Thomas C. Hull, and Itai Cohen. "Topological kinematics of origami metamaterials." Nature Physics , v.14 , 2018

PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT

Disclaimer

This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.

Manufacturing of complex objects is the key engine of technological progress. Learning to build smart, digital, and mechanically functional objects at the microscale could be as revolutionary as human-scale manufacturing. This grant supported research aimed at developing a new way of meeting this challenging goal. It combines two technologies: modern magnetic information storage, which can create tiny magnets in any pattern desired, and ultrathin flexible materials that can bend in response to tiny forces. These elements are combined with the design principles of colloidal systems, polymer physics, and molecular biology to create intelligent, functional objects, machines, and materials. These pieces interact in a way analogous to the way DNA bases bind together, with magnets playing the role of the base pairs, and the thin materials playing the role of the DNA backbone. The magnetic information determines how multiple strands connect and form complex structures and micron sized machines that can be controlled with external magnetic fields. Ultimately, this magnetic encoding of assembly instructions into primary structures of panels, strands, and nets will lead to the design and formation of secondary and even tertiary structures that transmit information, act as mechanical elements, or function as machines on scales ranging from the nano to the macro.

Under this grant a macroscale analogue of these systems was developed as a proof of concept for the ideas behind the proposed technology. The macroscale building blocks consist of centimeter sized panels with different patterns of magnetic dipoles that are capable of specific binding. Three canonical hallmarks of assembly were demonstrated: controlled polymerization of individual building blocks; assembly of 1-dimensional strands made of panels connected by elastic backbones into secondary structures such as helices and hairpins; and hierarchical assembly of 2-dimensional nets into 3-dimensional objects such as tetrahedral, cubes, and bowls.

In addition, much progress was made towards developing the microscale version of these materials. The central challenge in the realization of the microscale version of these materials is the development of magnetic media with properties suitable for recording. We have identified and characterized two materials systems that satisfy the desired design parameters: cobalt/chromium alloys for programmable in-plane moments and cobalt/platinum multilayers for programmable out-of-plane moments. Current efforts focus on integrating these magnetic materials into a full fabrication process for releasable magnetic micromachines.

Once developed, these materials will have fundamental impacts on micro-engineering, with potential applications for self-assembly of materials, medicine, and microscale robotics. As such, this research will promote the progress of science and ultimately benefit the US economy and society. This research borrows concepts from a variety of fields – a multi-disciplinary approach that will help broaden participation of underrepresented groups in research and positively impact engineering and science education.

Last Modified: 01/06/2020
Modified by: Itai Cohen

Example of various structures that can be created using self-assembly of Magnetic Handshake Materials.

Itai Cohen

Itai Cohen

Magnetic Handshake Materials
Image of magnetic nano-structures. Each color represents a different aspect ratio and spacing of the magnetic structure. These structures will form the building blocks for Microscale Magnetic Handshake Materials.

Kyle Dorsey

Itai Cohen

Wafer scale array of magnetic nano-structures