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The rate at which graphene is used in different fields of science and engineering has only increased over the past decade and shows no indication of saturating. At the same time, the most common source of high-quality graphene is through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth on copper foils with subsequent wet transfer steps that bring environmental problems and technical challenges due to the compliance of copper foils. To overcome these issues, thin copper films deposited on silicon wafers have been used, but the high temperatures required for graphene growth can cause dewetting of the copper film and consequent challenges in obtaining uniform growth. In this work, we explore sapphire as a substrate for the direct growth of graphene without any metal catalyst at conventional metal CVD temperatures. First, we found that annealing the substrate prior to growth was a crucial step to improve the quality of graphene that can be grown directly on such substrates. The graphene grown on annealed sapphire was uniformly bilayer and had some of the lowest Raman D/G ratios found in the literature. In addition, dry transfer experiments have been performed that have provided a direct measure of the adhesion energy, strength, and range of interactions at the sapphire/graphene interface. The adhesion energy of graphene to sapphire is lower than that of graphene grown on copper, but the strength of the graphene–sapphire interaction is higher. The quality of the several centimeter scale transfer was evaluated using Raman, SEM, and AFM as well as fracture mechanics concepts. Based on the evaluation of the electrical characteristics of the graphene synthesized in this work, this work has implications for several potential electronic applications. 

The ability to toggle adhesion between two surfaces on demand using reusable “smart” plastics would enable a myriad of applications where two components require temporary bonding, such as in dry transfer of materials for electronics applications. To this end, light is an attractive stimulus owing to its modularity, low energy consumption, and spatiotemporal control. However, a lack of materials capable of reversible light-triggered adhesion at room temperature exists. Herein, a systematic examination of azobenzene-containing liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs) revealed design principles that relate processing and composition to the performance of photoswitchable adhesives. This led to LCEs capable of reversibly picking up and releasing objects through a simple “flip of the switch” on UV and blue LEDs. Moreover, detailed optical and thermomechanical characterization outlined the modular scope of the present platform and provided insight into the governing mechanism(s) for photoswitchable adhesion, which will serve to inform further optimization. Such stimuli responsive materials have the potential to advance applications in electronics and soft robotics that can benefit from programmable and dynamic adhesion. 

Bonds between distinct solids rarely present sharp discontinuities in mechanical properties. Particularly in the case of the bonds between polymers with metals, ceramics, and semiconductors, interphase regions are formed whose mechanical behavior differs from that of the bulk polymer. This paper examines the potential of detecting interphases associated with thin polymer layers under axial and shear loading. We demonstrate that a recent asymptotic analysis co-developed by one of our honorees can be extended and holds in the presence of interphases. As a result, we are able to establish the conditions under which interphases may be detected when thin layers are loaded in tension and shear. Further, our analysis suggests that interphases may significantly reduce the high degree of triaxiality that has long been associated with thin, nearly incompressible layers.