Torsion-Triggered Actuation for Nanoscale Migration on Graphene

JT Leng and TC Chang, ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES, 17, 16168-16172 (2025).

DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c21739

We present a nanoscale torsion-triggered actuation mechanism that utilizes torsion as a precise actuation signal to drive controlled nanoscale motion. Twisting an annular graphene film induces spiral wrinkles with shear deformations, forming smooth gradients in the atomic contact and curvature. These gradients create dual van der Waals (vdW) and elastic energy landscapes, which guide the robust outward migration of solid adsorbates along wrinkle troughs. Our molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate the versatility of this mechanism, showing consistent performance under various initial adsorbate conditions. Further analysis reveals that the energy gradients can be tuned through the torsion angle and geometric parameters of the graphene surface. This work establishes torsion-triggered actuation as a powerful and energy- efficient approach for nanoscale robotics, precision material transport, and synchronized surface operations.

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