Twisted bilayer graphene/h-BN under impact of a nano-projectile

Abstract

The transverse impact responses of three kinds of bilayers (h-BN/h-BN, graphene/graphene, and hybrid graphene/h-BN) twisted at various angles (0–30°) are investigated by molecular dynamics simulations, which explore the nano-projectile penetrates the layers at a series of velocities (1–12 km/s). For each twisted bilayer, the critical penetration velocity shows no evident differences (<6.3%) with the twist angle; besides, the momentum transfer and the longitudinal-wave speed fluctuate slightly. Energy analysis indicates that the primary energy absorption routes are kinetic energy transfer and in-plane tensile deformation. Further, with the increase of the number of layers, the interlayer resistance and the energy absorbed per layer increase, suggesting higher absorption efficiency than individual monolayer. This study may contribute to the design of novel nano-armors and surface coatings as shields against the high-speed nano-projectile impact in space exploration.