Subjecting a Graphene Monolayer to Tension and Compression

An experimental set-up for loading graphene flakes in both tension and compression is shown in the image. This technique allows investigation not only of bare flakes (just laid out on the plastic substrate) but also of flakes embedded within the beam. The embedded graphene flakes can sustain tensile strains of over 1.3%, whereas in compression no further loading is possible up to 0.7%. Detailed facts of importance to specialist readers are published as "Supporting Information". Such documents are peer-reviewed, but not copy-edited or typeset. They are made available as submitted by the authors. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.