Weak Interlayer Research Articles

Impact of weak interlayer characteristics on the mechanical behavior and failure modes of cemented tailings backfill: A study on thickness, strength, and dip angle

The mechanical properties of cemented tailings backfill (CTB) are crucial for managing ground pressure and sustaining mine productivity. However, multiple fillings often result in weak interlayers (WI) within the backfill, compromising its stability. This study investigates the mechanical behavior and failure modes of composite cemented tailings backfill (CCTB) with different WI characteristics—thickness (ranging from 0 mm to 30 mm), strength (cement-tailings ratio from 1:4 to 1:20), and dip angle (from 0° to 9°)—after 28 days of curing through uniaxial compression tests. Regression and error analysis methods were employed to establish the relationships between WI physical characteristics and CCTB mechanical properties. Additionally, the inherent mechanisms of mechanical strength deterioration in CCTB containing WI were discussed based on experimental and simulation results of CCTB failure modes. The results found that the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and elastic modulus (E) of CTB decrease with lower cement content, while the peak strength strain (PSS) increases. Incorporating WIs weakens CCTB, reducing UCS and E, and increasing PSS. Regression analysis combined with error analysis revealed that WI thickness has an exponential relationship with UCS, E, and PSS. As WI thickness increases, reduction coefficients for UCS and E rise significantly, exacerbated by the WI’s diminished strength. The WI’s dip angle significantly affects CCTB’s mechanical behavior, disrupting stress distribution and load transfer, resulting in heightened stress concentrations and structural weakening. COMSOL simulations corroborated these experimental findings, providing deeper insights into stress distribution and failure mechanisms within the CCTB structure. These findings aim to provide a theoretical basis for mitigating the impact of WI characteristics on the stability and load-bearing capacity of CCTB in future mining operations.

Room-Temperature CrI3 Magnets through Lithiation.

The pursuit of two-dimensional (2D) magnetism is promising for energy-efficient electronic devices, including magnetoelectric random access memory and radio frequency/microwave magnonics, and it is gaining fundamental insights into quantum sensing technology. The key challenge resides in overseeing magnetic exchange interactions through a precise chemical reduction process, wherein manipulation of the arrangement of atoms and electrons is essential for achieving room-temperature 2D magnetism tailoring in a manner compatible with device architectures. Here, we report an electrochemically crafted CrI3 layered magnet─a van der Waals material─with precisely tailored lithiation and delithiation degrees. The crystalline and packing structure within the intralayer are preserved during the lithium intercalation within the interlayer, owing to weak interlayer coupling. Intrinsic ferromagnetism featuring a Curie temperature reaching 420 K has been unequivocally demonstrated, showcasing a coercivity of 1120 Oe at room temperature. The degree of lithiation through the reduction from Cr3+ to Cr2+ plays a crucial role in determining a 28.5% change in magnetization and a 0.29 eV shift in the bandgap. Room temperature ferromagnetism and magnetoelectricity are critical for noncontact, specifically photon-driven, dynamic magnetism control of 2D magnet-based magnonics devices.

Out-of-Plane Electron Transport in Graphite Intercalation Compounds with Applications in Battery Anodes

Graphite intercalation compounds (GICs) are commonly used as anode materials for alkali metal-ion batteries, such as Li-ion and K-ion batteries. Although typically prepared as a low-stage intercalation compound (with a high concentration of the intercalating metal), over several electrochemical cycles, the distribution of intercalate within the graphite sample is expected to be non-uniform with domains of high-stage regions where the intercalant fraction is low [1]. The mechanism of interlayer electron transport in GICs strongly depends on the intercalation staging and temperature, and is expected to vary over the lifetime of a battery.High-stage GICs and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), which is the upper limit of infinite-stage GIC, have an out-of-plane electrical conductivity that exponentially increases with temperature, whereas low-stage GICs have a conductivity that decreases as a function of temperature [2, 3, 4]. Although out-of-plane electron transport in low-stage GICs can be described by a metallic conduction model, the mechanism of out-of-plane electron transport in HOPG and high-stage GICs is a hitherto unresolved problem [5]. Out-of-plane electrical conductivity for HOPG and high-stage GICs increases exponentially with temperature, which cannot be described by metallic conduction, nor by conventional impurity or defect hopping mechanisms [6].We propose a new mechanism of electron transport that takes place in HOPG and high-stage GICs at temperatures relevant to battery operation. Electrons are transferred between graphite and intercalant layers through tunneling that is enhanced by large amplitude out-of-plane phonon modes in graphite layers. Due to weak interlayer interactions in adjacent graphite layers, GICs can accommodate large amplitude phonon modes in the out-of-plane direction that locally enhance the interlayer electron tunneling probability. The tunneling enhancement is temperature dependent, and exponentially depends on the population of out-of-plane phonon modes excited at a given temperature. The expression for the conductivity 𝜎 for the phonon amplitude-driven tunneling mechanism as a function of temperature T is shown in Eq. 1; the exponential dependence of conductivity with temperature qualitatively agrees with experimental observations in HOPG and high-stage GICs. On a quantitative level, we also observe from Fig.1 that the theory agrees with experimental values for out-of-plane conductivity in HOPG.The phonon amplitude-driven tunneling mechanism of electron transport is relevant in describing the kinetic over-potential in batteries that employ layered materials as anodes in ambient temperature operating conditions, and optimally sizing the anode accounting for both electron transport and ion diffusion rates.

(Invited) Deformable Electronics Based on Strain-Engineered Van Der Waals Materials

Materials exhibit drastically different physical and chemical properties as their dimensionality varies. Atomically-thin van der Waals (vdW) materials possess unique mechanical, electrical, optical, and thermal characteristics, originated from quantum confined low-dimensionality and a lack of dangling bond. In particular, strong in-plane covalent bonding and weak interlayer vdW interaction of two-dimensional (2D) vdW materials enable exceptional combination of mechanical properties, such as high Young’s modulus, high in-plane strength, and ultralow bending stiffness at a level of cell membrane. Moreover, mechanical strain can induce modulation of electronic and phononic band structures of 2D vdW materials more effectively due to mechanical resilience and high surface-to-volume ratio. For these reasons, deformation engineering has garnered substantial interest in mechanics, materials and electronics communities as a new tuning knob for emerging phenomena and functionalities of 2D vdW materials. In this talk, I will discuss deformation engineering of 2D vdW materials – (1) active and dynamic deformation strategies, including in-plane interfacial slippage and out-of-plane structural deformation, (2) deformation strain induced phenomena, and (3) emerging device concepts based on deformation engineering of 2D vdW materials.

Seismic response investigation of prestressed anchor cable supporting rock slope with weak interlayer in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China

Earthquake-induced rock landslides in the eastern mountains of the Tibetan Plateau, especially landslides with weak interlayers pose a significant threat to major construction projects. Prestressed anchor cable is one of the main reinforcement methods of rock slopes. This paper combines shaking table model tests and numerical simulation to study the reinforcement effect and dynamic response characteristics of prestressed anchor cables applied to rock slopes with weak interlayers under strong earthquakes. The research results show that prestressed anchor cables can effectively reinforce slopes with weak interlayers. A small cable inclination, a small spacing and a high prestress are recommended in the seismic reinforcement design of prestressed anchor cable. In addition, the characteristics of slope progressive damage and prestress loss under the earthquake are found by the shaking table test. The results have been applied in hazard prevention and control of rock slopes on the Chengdu-Lanzhou Railway at the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Constructing Slip Stacking Diversity in Van der Waals Homobilayers.

The van der Waals (vdW) interface provides two important degrees of freedom-twist and slip-to tune interlayer structures and inspire unique physics. However, constructing diversified high-quality slip stackings (i.e., lattice orientations between layers are parallel with only interlayer sliding) is more challenging than twisted stackings due to angstrom-scale structural discrepancies between different slip stackings, sparsity of thermodynamically stable candidates and insufficient mechanism understanding. Here, using transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) homobilayers as a model system, this work theoretically elucidates that vdW materials with low lattice symmetry and weak interlayer coupling allow the creation of multifarious thermodynamically advantageous slip stackings, and experimentally achieves13 and 9 slip stackings in 1T″-ReS2 and 1T″-ReSe2 bilayers via direct growth, which are systematically revealed by atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), angle-resolved polarization Raman spectroscopy, and second harmonic generation (SHG) measurements. This work also develops modulation strategies to switch the stacking via grain boundaries (GBs) and to expand the slip stacking library from thermodynamic to kinetically favored structures via in situ thermal treatment. Finally, density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest a prominent dependence of the pressure-induced electronic band structure transition on stacking configurations. These studies unveil a unique vdW epitaxy and offer a viable means for manipulating interlayer atomic registries.

Seismic Response and Mitigation Analysis of a Subway Station in the Site with Weak Interlayers

Challenges related to seismic performance and seismic mitigation are more pronounced in the presence of weak interlayers compared to typical layered soil conditions. This study focuses on a double-layer double-span rectangular frame subway station structure. A coupled static–dynamic finite element analysis model of the soil-structure system is established by using the finite element software ABAQUS/CAE V 6.14. The research investigates the influence of factors such as interlayer thickness, location, and strength on the seismic response of subway station structures. Furthermore, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of FPB in mitigating seismic effects in the weak interlayer ground, two different schemes are proposed in this paper. One is the structure without FPB and the other is the structure with FPB on the top of the central column. The findings reveal that weak interlayers exert a significant influence on the seismic response of subway station structures, especially when these lower-strength weak interlayers are located within the central portion of the subway station structure and exhibit considerable thickness. The FPB on the top of the central column can reduce the overall lateral stiffness of the subway station structure. This, in turn, results in a slight increase in the deformation of sidewall and inter-story displacement angles, accompanied by a marginal exacerbation of sidewall damage. However, the implementation of FPB effectively reduces the deformation of the central column and substantially mitigates the extent of damage to the central column.

Direct synthesis of controllable ultrathin heteroatoms-intercalated 2D layered materials

Two-dimensional (2D) layered materials have been studied in depth during the past two decades due to their unique structure and properties. Transition metal (TM) intercalation of layered materials have been proven as an effective way to introduce new physical properties, such as tunable 2D magnetism, but the direct growth of atomically thin heteroatoms-intercalated layered materials remains untapped. Herein, we directly synthesize various ultrathin heteroatoms-intercalated 2D layered materials (UHI-2DMs) through flux-assisted growth (FAG) approach. Eight UHI-2DMs (V1/3NbS2, Cr1/3NbS2, Mn1/3NbS2, Fe1/3NbS2, Co1/3NbS2, Co1/3NbSe2, Fe1/3TaS2, Fe1/4TaS2) were successfully synthesized. Their thickness can be reduced to the thinnest limit (bilayer 2D material with monolayer intercalated TM), and magnetic ordering can be induced in the synthesized structures. Interestingly, due to the possible anisotropy-stabilized long-range ferromagnetism in Fe1/3TaS2 with weak interlayer coupling, the layer-independent magnetic ordering temperature of Fe1/3TaS2 was revealed by magneto-transport properties. This work establishes a general method for direct synthesis of heteroatom-intercalated ultrathin 2D materials with tunable chemical and physical properties.

Weak interlayer interaction and enhanced electron mobility in multilayer WS2 achieved through a layer-by-layer wet transfer approach

Weak interlayer interaction and enhanced electron mobility in multilayer WS2 achieved through a layer-by-layer wet transfer approach

Solid solutions in disulfide systems Re(IV)S<sub>2</sub>–Ti(IV)S<sub>2</sub>, Re(IV)S<sub>2</sub>–Mo(IV)S<sub>2</sub>, and Re(IV)S<sub>2</sub>–W(IV)S<sub>2</sub>

Objectives. Chalcogenides of transition elements with low oxidation states, as well as their substituted derivatives, remain a poorly studied class of chemical compounds. Rhenium disulfide has many distinctive features and great application potential as a new twodimensional semiconductor. This is due to its unusual structure and unique anisotropic properties. The presence of weak interlayer bonding and a unique distorted octahedral (1T) structure suggests the possibility of creating new phases on its basis. The aim of this work is to obtain and study phases in systems Re(IV)S2–Ti(IV)S2, Re(IV)S2–Mo(IV)S2, and Re(IV)S2–W(IV)S2.Methods. The samples were obtained by high-temperature solid-phase ampoule synthesis in a vacuum. The study was carried out using X-ray phase analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.Results. The regions of existence of solid solutions, intercalates and two-phase regions in the resulting systems were established.Diffraction patterns were obtained for the new phases and the crystal lattice parameters were calculated. Based on data relating to the binding energies of core electrons with the nucleus, the study showed the valence states of the elements after synthesis. The study also confirmed that all phases obtained as a result of synthesis contain transition elements in the oxidation state (IV).Conclusions. Intercalated solid solutions are formed in areas rich in rhenium, while in areas close to titanium and molybdenum disulfides, intercalated phases are attained. In the ReS2–WS2 system there is a region of solid solutions, including 30, 50, and 70 mol % rhenium disulfide. Their structure is a polymorphic modification of the structure of the original components. The presence of rhenium, molybdenum, and tungsten in these phases in the oxidation state (+IV) was confirmed. The data obtained on phase formation in dichalcogenide systems can be practically used in the creation of materials with unique electronic, magnetic, and optical properties with a wide range of applications.

Exciton-Driven and Layer-Independent Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties in NbOCl2.

We investigate the electronic structure and linear and nonlinear [second-harmonic generation (SHG)] spectra of the NbOCl2 monolayer, bilayer, and bulk by using a real-time first-principles approach based on many-body theory. First, the interlayer couplings between NbOCl2 layers are very weak, due to the relatively large interlayer distance, saturation of the p orbital of Cl atoms, and high degree of localization of charge density around the Nb atom for both the lowest conduction band and the highest valence band. Second, the quasiparticle gaps and exciton binding energy for the three systems show layer-dependent features and decrease with an increase in layer thickness. Most importantly, the linear and SHG spectra of the NbOCl2 monolayer, bilayer, and bulk are dominated by strong excitonic resonances and exhibit layer-independent features due to the weak interlayer couplings. Our findings demonstrate that excitonic effects should be included in studying the optical properties of not only two-dimensional materials but also layered bulk materials with weak interlayer couplings.

Experimental study on seismic characteristics of slope supported by long-short composite anti-slide piles

In this study, a shaking table test was conducted on long-short composite anti-slide piles, the development process and dynamic response of cracks in a pile-supported slope were observed, and the failure mechanism of the slope was explored. The experiment showed that the failure of the pile-supported slope under an earthquake was a gradual process; cracks first occur at the top of the slope, where the support action of the piles was weak. As the input seismic action increased, cracks developed downwards along the slope. Owing to the support effect of the long-short anti-slide composite piles, the transmission path of the cracks changed, and the cracks developed along the top of the composite piles, ultimately leading to overtop failure. When cracks appeared on the slope or near final failure, the acceleration response law of the supported slope undergone a sudden change, which was an important indicator of slope instability. The distribution of dynamic soil stress on the pile body was greatly affected by the input peak ground acceleration, and the maximum bending moment of the long-short composite anti-slide piles was located near the weak interlayer.

Enhanced interlayer interaction in sulfonated CONs membrane by amino-rich CONs enabling ultrafast proton transport

Covalent organic framework nanosheets (CONs) with porous crystalline features and ultrathin thickness are ideal candidates as membrane building blocks to form well-defined transfer nanochannels. The formidable challenge behind self-supporting CONs membrane lies in weak non-covalent interlayer interactions and thus loose stacking, insufficient strength and structure stabilities. Herein, we propose the fabrication of interlayer force-strengthened freestanding CONs membrane through the electrostatic attraction bridge effect of positively-charged amino-rich CONs (CON–NH2) to negatively-charged sulfonated CONs (CON–SO3H). Ultrathin and large lateral sized CON–SO3H and CON–NH2 are synthesized, followed by restacking to prepare freestanding CONs membrane with CON–SO3H as the membrane bulk. Benefiting from effective interlayer interconnection due to strong electrostatic interaction, the obtained CON–SO3H/CON–NH2 membrane displays features of ultrahigh integrity, dense stacking, eminent water/acid/base/organic solvents stabilities and mechanical strength (109 MPa). The shortened –SO3H distance contributes to construct site-continuous transfer pathways, and the deprotonated –SO3H and protonated –NH2 form acid–base pairs to decrease interfacial resistance, which impart membrane superior proton conductivity of 486 mS cm−1 (80 °C, 100% RH). This interlayer force enhancement strategy offers a promising perspective on achieving densely-stacked CONs membrane with ultrahigh mechanical property and conduction performance for fuel cell application.

Seepage-related characteristics of weak interlayer suffering from a physically-chemically mediated erosion in grotto relics

Seepage-related characteristics of weak interlayer suffering from a physically-chemically mediated erosion in grotto relics

Enhanced interlayer strength in 3D-printed PA12 composites via electromagnetic induction post-processing

Weak interlayer strength remains a critical limitation in the application of material extrusion 3D-printed parts. Herein, a non-contact method, electromagnetic induction post-processing, is proposed to address this issue. This method aims to enhance the weak interlayer strength of 3D-printed PA12 samples by introducing Fe3O4 particles for induced heat generation under alternating magnetic fields. The heat generation characteristics, surface morphology, crystallization behavior, and interlayer performance of 3D-printed samples subjected to induction post-processing are systematically investigated. The results indicate that a remarkable improvement in the interlayer strength of 3D-printed PA12 samples can be achieved through induction post-processing. Tensile strength along the Z-direction (perpendicular to the printing plane) exhibits a distinct increase of 218.3 %, while interlayer tear strength can rise by 328.1 %. Improvement in interlayer strength results from heat generation driving interfacial resin diffusion. Additionally, induction post-processing results in localized surface smoothing and a slight reduction in the crystallinity of the 3D-printed sample. Compared to traditional methods like in-oven heat treatment (annealing), induction post-processing offers higher efficiency by circumventing the initial constraints of heat transfer. Furthermore, the concept of selective induction heating (SIH) is proposed to achieve non-contact, localized heating by adjusting the composition of thermoplastics during printing. SIH holds good promise for applications in 3D-printed continuous carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites, including mold-free forming, complex surface welding, and repair (particularly in narrow and inaccessible areas).

Flexural failure mechanism of bamboo composite plates with different construction technologies and tectonic patterns

To investigate the failure mechanism of bamboo fiber reinforced composite (BFRC) plates with different construction technologies and tectonic patterns, flexural experiments were performed. The flexural property of the parallel bamboo strand lumbers (PBSL) is better than that of the glued laminated bamboo (GLB), where the cracking load is increased by 141 % at most and the peak load is increased by 57 % at most. The orthogonal structure for the cross-laminated bamboo (CLB) improves the flexural property to a certain extent by inhibiting the initial cracking whether it is PBSL or GLB, and the peak load is increased by 9.83 % and 11.40 %, respectively. The residual bearing capacity of the PBSL is better than that of the CLB, the PBSL can basically maintain half of the ultimate bearing capacity while the damage factor of CLB is as high as 0.84 when the structure is damaged, revealing that the orthogonal layup structure results in weak interlayer interface after explosion. Orthotropic plate theory and composite failure criteria were proposed and consistently predicted the cracking load and the ultimate load. It is found that matrix fracture controls the cracking load, while fiber fracture determines the ultimate load.

Study on deformation and failure characteristics of oblique-cut locked rock slope under rainfall conditions

Based on the disaster-pregnant environment and development characteristics of landslide disasters in the western region of Henan Province, a generalized model was established by taking the “oblique-cut” locking rock slope in the layered rock slope as the research object. The numerical simulation method was used to analyze the deformation and failure mechanism and stability influence law of the oblique-cut locking rock slope in western Henan under rainfall conditions. The results show that the inclination angle of the weak interlayer directly affects the deformation and failure characteristics of the slope rock mass. With the increase of the geometric parameters of the slope and the inclination angle of the weak interlayer, the failure mechanism is manifested as the slip shear failure along the level at the foot of the slope → the slip shear failure along the level at the foot of the slope (the sliding surface moves upward) → the shear failure in the middle of the slope surface → the slip shear failure along the level at the foot of the slope (the sliding surface moves downward) → the uplift shear failure at the lower edge of the rock layer. When the dip angle of the weak interlayer is constant, the slope stability decreases gradually with the increase in slope gradient and slope height, and the geometric factors of the slope control the overall change trend of the slope stability coefficient. When the slope is greater than 55° and the slope height is greater than 55 m, the shear stress of the slope locking section exceeds its shear strength, and the probability of landslide instability is greatly increased.

Effect of synergistic action of anodising and graphene on the mechanical properties of fibre-reinforced metal laminates

Fibre reinforced metal laminates (FMLs) are widely used in various fields due to their excellent properties. However, the weak interlayer properties of FMLs limit their applications. In this paper, the interlayer properties of FMLs are enhanced by anodising the 2024-T3 aluminium alloy layer in FMLs or by epoxy matrix modification of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). The effect of both synergistic impacts on the interlayer properties of most FMLs is investigated. The FMLs were manufactured using the wet lay-up technique using 2024-T3 aluminium alloy, E51 epoxy and EW100 glass fibre. The results showed that the type I fracture toughness, tensile strength, flexural strength, interlayer shear strength and single layer shear strength of FMLs after anodic oxidation treatment were increased by 406.4%, 10.3%, 18.3%, 42.6% and 28.3%, respectively, compared with those of pure FMLs. The type I fracture toughness, tensile strength, flexural strength, interlayer shear strength and single layer shear strength of the GNPs-modified FMLs matrix were increased by 280.4%, 3.7%, 6.8%, 34.5% and 19.1%, respectively, compared with those of pure FMLs. Moreover, the synergistic effect of FMLs indicates that the simultaneous anodic oxidation and GNPs modification of FMLs can lead to the best mechanical properties of FMLs. Microscopic images and schematics illustrate the toughening mechanism of anodising and GNPs, including the enhancement of aluminium/resin interface and fibre/resin interface and the enhancement of resin matrix properties.

Investigation on uncoordinated deformation and failure mechanism and damage modeling of rock mass with weak interlayer zone

The weak interlayer zone (WIZ) is a high-risk geotechnical system with poor mechanical properties, strong ductility, loose structure, and wide distribution. To comprehensively investigate the uncoordinated deformation characteristics and failure mechanism of rock mass with WIZ, a series of uniaxial loading tests using digital image correlation (DIC) technique, and numerical simulation tests were carried out. Besides, the damage constitutive model of rock mass with WIZ was established, then the damage evolution law was also analyzed. Results show that a high strain localized zone appears in the WIZ from the beginning of loading, which then develops towards the contact surface between the WIZ and the rock mass. As loading proceeds, the WIZ exhibits layered spalling and ultimately forms through-cracks after the initiation of micro-cracks, and vertical tensile cracks to appear in the rock. causing vertical tensile cracks to appear in the rock. With the increase of the WIZ thickness and dip angle, the uniaxial compressive strength and deformation modulus of specimen show a negative exponential decay. When rock mass with WIZ collapse, the bonding of WIZ particles fails and the number of tensile-shear cracks gradually increases, eventually resulting in the plastic squeezing-out of WIZ. Moreover, the particles of the rock masses with smaller WIZ dip angles are mainly displaced vertically, and the failure is mainly caused by tensile splitting. The significant lateral displacement of particles in the rock mass with larger WIZ dip angles leads to the destruction of the rock mass mainly through shear slip, in particular a pronounced sliding down along the WIZ. Furthermore, the damage constitutive model of the rock mass with WIZ was established by distinguishing the total damage of the rock mass with WIZ into the damage of the WIZ and the damage of the rock mass. The model prediction results show that the total damage D increases with the increase of WIZ thickness and dip angle, and develops faster in the early stage and slower in the later stage. The research can provide effective basis and feasible ideas for the uncoordinated deformation and failure evolution, macro–micro failure mechanism, as well as the constitutive model of rock mass with WIZ in underground cavern under high geostress.

Magnetism, ferroelectricity, and piezoelectricity in bulk α-CrOOH and its monolayer

Multifunctional materials with magnetic, piezoelectric, and ferroelectric properties have a wide range of applications. This study investigates the properties of bulk α-CrOOH and its monolayer using density functional theory. The findings reveal that bulk α-CrOOH exhibits a weak interlayer antiferromagnetism, but has a ferroelectric polarization of 28.45 µC/cm2 and piezoelectric strain constants d33 of 21.69 pm/V, which are comparable to those of the multiferroic material BiFeO3. The monolayer of α-CrOOH is a low-temperature ferromagnetic semiconductor that exhibits robust piezoelectricity. This is because of the intrinsic mirror symmetry breaking in the z-direction, resulting in large out-of-plane piezoelectric coefficients of e31 = 31.914 pC/m and d31 = 0.22 pm/V. These intriguing electric and magnetic properties make polarized bulk and monolayer α-CrOOH potential candidates for piezoelectric and ferroelectric device applications.