Synthesis and mechanical properties of nanolayered Na₂CoO₂ materials

Current students include: Vanessa Zhang

The group of Richard Robinson at Cornell recently discovered a way to fabricate materials which consist of stacks of nanoscale Na₂CoO₂sheets with good ordering over hundreds of micrometers in the plane. These materials are very stable, have high electrical conductivity, low thermal conductivity, and are apparently quite deformable. We are collaborating with the Robinson group to determine the mechanical properties of these highly unusual materials using nanoindentation.