A mechanical route to carbon nanoscrolls

Recent developments in isolating two dimensional materials has triggered interests in different forms of these materials such as carbon nanoscrolls (CNS). Here we report formation of nanoscrolls using our previously reported technique of wedge based mechanical exfoliation. TEM images reveal the presence of nanoscrolls in many forms. Scroll formation was more prominent when the cleaving wedge was oscillated along its sharp edge at ultrasonic frequencies. Among several possible hypotheses, we present a simple one and show using molecular simulations that previously formed randomly scrolled edges roll by the external energy assistance of the moving penetrating wedge to form scrolls upon cleaving. Our mechanical exfoliation method has potential to synthesize CNS in a controlled manner.