Multiscale mechanics of noncovalent interface in graphene oxide layered nanocomposites

Noncovalent interfaces play a vital role in inelastic deformation and toughening mechanisms in layered nanocomposites due to their dynamical recoverability. When interfacial engineering is applied to design layered nanocomposites, shear-lag analysis is usually implemented to evaluate the capability of interfacial loading transfer. Here, we introduce a multiscale shear-lag model that correlates macroscale mechanical properties with the molecular mechanisms to quantify the effects of interfacial configuration in graphene oxide (GO) layered nanocomposites. By investigating the mechanical responses of commensurate and in-commensurate interfaces, we identify that the commensurate interface exhibits a pronounced size effect due to the nucleation and propagation of interfacial defects, whereas the incommensurate interface dis-plays uniform deformation. Our predictions are further validated through large-scale molecular dynam-ics simulations for GO layered nanocomposites. This work demonstrates how size effects and interfacial configurations can be exploited to fabricate layered nanocomposites with superior mechanical properties despite relying on weak noncovalent interfaces.(c) 2021 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The Chinese Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ )