{
  "id": 1448101,
  "title": "Tiny graphene wrinkles create surprisingly powerful electrical effects",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/tiny-graphene-wrinkles-create-surprisingly-powerful-electrical-effects",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-17T02:28:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ScienceDaily",
    "slug": "sciencedaily",
    "url": "https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260815064801.htm"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Scientists at Rice University have discovered that very tiny wrinkles in graphene can significantly affect how the material conducts electricity. This effect is called flexoelectricity, which occurs when uneven bending of a material causes it to develop an electric charge. The findings were published in Advanced Materials. The study demonstrates that changing the shape of graphene, rather than altering its chemical composition, could be a new method for controlling its electrical properties.\n\nGraphene, a one-atom-thick sheet of carbon atoms, was examined in this research. The researchers focused on wrinkles that naturally form in the material, with some bends squeezed into regions smaller than a nanometer. At such a small scale, intense curvature can cause electrons to shift towards one side of the graphene, creating two opposite electrical sides.\n\nUsing specialized microscope probes, the researchers mapped the shape of the wrinkles and measured local electrical energy and current. Raman spectroscopy, a laser-based method, was also used to observe how atoms are stretched or compressed. Computer simulations helped predict how bending should influence electron movement. Comparing sharply curved wrinkles with flat graphene allowed the researchers to clearly identify the role of extreme curvature in producing electrical effects.\n\nThe results showed that graphene wrinkles behaved like tiny electrical speed bumps, altering local electrical energy at their sharp tips. When about one volt of electricity was applied, the researchers consistently detected an electrical current. The strength of the response was more closely tied to the sharpness of each wrinkle than its overall size. The resulting polarization was between 100,000 and 10 million times stronger than in larger flexoelectric systems.\n\nThis discovery, initially predicted in 2008, provides a new way to investigate whether controlling the curvature of graphene wrinkles can adjust the material's electrical properties. If practical, this approach could lead to the development of more sensitive sensors and ultrathin electronic devices. Rather than treating wrinkles as imperfections, researchers may utilize them as functional features whose geometry influences how electricity behaves.",
  "summary": "Scientists have discovered that tiny, sharply curved wrinkles in graphene can dramatically alter its electrical behavior, creating surprisingly strong charge separation. The finding suggests future electronics could be tuned by reshaping materials at the atomic scale instead of changing what they’re made of.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}