Graphene origami with enhanced impact resistance and energy absorption performance

The ancient art of origami has recently shown its potential in engineering intricate three-dimensional graphene structures with unique properties. This study employs molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the dynamic mechanical behavior of graphene origami structures (GOS) under hypervelocity ballistic impact. The analysis of residual velocity, kinetic energy loss, and specific penetration energy shows that GOS exhibit superior impact resistance and energy absorption performance compared with pristine graphene. One reason for the enhancements is that highly flexible GOS can unfold to produce a conical impact zone with larger out-of-plane deformation. Another reason is that three-dimensional folded regions possess more mass, enabling them to dissipate more kinetic energy from the projectile. The impact behavior of GOS is further analyzed concerning projectile size, impact position, and surface roughness. It is found that the impact resistance and energy absorption capacity of GOS can be adjusted by altering the surface roughness, specifically the folding degree and pattern geometry. This GOS holds promise for diverse applications in impact protection, such as combat armor and spacecraft shields.