Thin film mechanics

Keywards: Graphene, 2D materials, Membranes, Wrinkling, Bulge test, Indentation test

  1. W. Dong, Z. Dai*, L. Liu*, Zhong Zhang. Toward clean 2D materials and devices: Recent progress in transfer and cleaning methods. Advanced Materials 36, 2303014 (2024) Invited review

  2. Z. Dai*, N. Lu*. Poking and bulging of suspended thin sheets: slippage, instabilities, and metrology. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 149, 104320 (2021)

  3. G. Wang†, Z. Dai†, J. Xiao†, S. Feng, C. Weng, L. Liu*, Z. Xu*, R. Huang*, Z. Zhang*. Bending of multilayer van der Waals materials. Physical Review Letters 123, 116101 (2019) Highlighted as an Editors' Suggestion, featured on the journal Cover and by news media MRS News ESI highly cited paper

  4. Z. Fang, Z. Dai*, B. Wang, Z. Tian, C. Yu, Q. Chen, X. Wei*. Pull-to-peel of two-dimensional materials for the simultaneous determination of elasticity and adhesion. Nano Letters 23, 2, 742–749 (2023) Featured on the journal Cover

Surfaces and interfaces

Keywards: Wetting, Adhesion, Friction, Delamination, Lubrication, Interface mechanics

  1. Y. Rao, E. Kim, Z. Dai, J. He, Y. Li, N. Lu. Size-dependent shape characteristics of 2D crystal blisters. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 175, 105286 (2023)

  2. Z. Dai and D. Vella*. Droplets on Lubricant Infused Surfaces: The slow dynamics of skirt formation. Physical Review Fluids 7, 054003 (2022)

  3. Z. Dai, N. Lu, K. Liechti, R. Huang*. Mechanics at the Interfaces of 2D Materials: Challenges and Opportunities. Current Opinions in Solid State & Materials Science 24, 100837 (2020) Special Issue: 2D Materials

  4. Z. Dai, Y. Hou, D. A. Sanchez, G. Wang, C. J. Brennan, L. Liu*, N. Lu*. Interface-Governed Deformation of Nanobubbles and Nanotents Formed by Two-Dimensional Materials. Physical Review Letters 121, 266101 (2018) Highlighted as an Editors' Suggestion, featured on the journal Cover

  5. G. Wang†, Z. Dai†, Y. Wang, P. Tan, L. Liu*, Z. Xu*, Y. Wei, R. Huang, Z. Zhang*. Measuring Interlayer Shear Stress in Bilayer Graphene. Physical Review Letters 119, 036101 (2017) Highlighted as an Editors' Suggestion, also featured by news media including APS Physics Focus, Physicsworld, PhysOrg, Chinese Academy of Science, and Nanotechweb (see Altmetric) ESI highly cited paper

Elastocapillarity

Keywards: Elastic wetting, Liquid-structure interactions, Elastic dewetting, Elastocapillary adhesion, Blisters

  1. S. Liu, J. He, Y. Rao, Z. Dai, H. Ye, J. C. Tanir, Y. Li, N. Lu. Conformability of flexible sheets on spherical surfaces. Science Advances 9, eadf2709 (2023)

  2. Y. Hou†, Z. Dai†, S. Zhang†, S. Feng, G. Wang, L. Liu*, Z. Xu*, Q. Li*, Z. Zhang*. Elastocapillary cleaning of twisted bilayer graphene interfaces. Nature Communications 12, 5069 (2021)

  3. Z. Dai, D. Sanchez, C. J. Brennan, N. Lu*. Radial Buckle Delamination Around Two-Dimensional Material Tents. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 137, 103843 (2020)

  4. Y. Rao†, S. Qiao†, Z. Dai, N. Lu*. Elastic Wetting: Substrate-Supported Droplets Confined by Ultrathin Elastic Membranes. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 151, 104399 (2021)

  5. D. Sanchez†, Z. Dai†, P. Wang, A. Cantu-Chavez, C. J. Brennan, R. Huang*, N. Lu*. Mechanics of Liquid-Filled Nanobubbles Trapped by Two-Dimensional Crystals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115, 7884 (2018)

Thin elastic layers

Keywards: Approximate theory, Winkler foundation model, Shear lag model

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  1. C. Yu and Z. Dai*. Premature jump-to-contact with elastic surfaces. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 193, 105919 (2024)

  2. B. Wang, J. Li, Z. Fang, Y. Jiang, S. Li, F. Zhan, Z. Dai, Q. Chen*, X. Wei*. Large and pressure-dependent c-axis piezoresistivity of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite near zero pressure. Nano Letters (2024) Featured on the journal Cover

  3. Z. Dai, G. Wang, L. Liu*, Y. Hou, Y. Wei*, Z. Zhang*. Mechanical Behavior and Properties of Hydrogen bonded Graphene/Polymer Nano-Interfaces. Composites Science and Technology 136, 1 (2016)

Elastic strain engineering

Keywards: Strain engineering, Pseudo-magnetic field, 2D material devices

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  1. L. Yang*, S. Yue, Y. Tao, S. Qiao, H. Li, Z. Dai, B. Song, Y. Chen, J. Du*, D. Li, P. Gao. Suppressed thermal transport in silicon nanoribbons by inhomogeneous strain. Nature 629, 1021–1026 (2024)

  2. Z. Dai, L. Liu*, Z. Zhang*. Strain Engineering of Two-Dimensional Materials: Issues and Opportunities at the Interface. Advanced Materials 31, 1805417 (2019) Selected as the journal Frontispiece ESI highly cited paper

Assembly and composites of nano building blocks

Keywards: Functional composites, Composite films, Self-assembly, Mechanical properties, Composite sponges, Negative Poisson's ratio

  1. Z. Dai, C. Weng, L. Liu*, X. Zhao, J. Kuang, Y. Hou, J. Shi, Y. Wei, J. Lou*, Z. Zhang*. Multifunctional Polymer-Based Graphene Foams with Buckled Structure and Negative Poisson’s Ratio. Scientific Reports 6, 32989 (2016)

  2. Z. Dai, Y. Wang, L. Liu*, X. Liu, P. Tan, Z. Xu*, J. Kuang, Q. Liu, J. Lou, Z. Zhang*. Hierarchical Graphene Based Films with Dynamic Self-stiffening for Biomimetic Artificial Muscle. Advanced Functional Materials 26, 7003 (2016)

  3. Z. Dai, L. Liu*, J. Kuang, Y. Wei, H. Zhu*, Z. Zhang*. Three-dimensional Sponges with Super Mechanical Stability: Harnessing True Elasticity of Individual Carbon Nanotubes in Macroscopic Architectures. Scientific Reports 6, 18930 (2016)

Grants

My research has been supported by the following grants:

Fellowships

I am grateful for the generous financial support from many organizations, including: