

GO is idealized as a continuum heterogeneous two-phase material, where the mechanical response of each phase, graphitic and oxidized, is informed from DFTB simulations. Herein, a continuum mechanics model, formulated based on density functional based tight binding (DFTB) constitutive results for GO nano-flakes, is establish for capturing the effect of oxidation patterns on the material mechanical properties. However, this effect has not been carefully studied using molecular dynamics due to computational limitations.

Recent studies have hypothesized that the randomly distributed two-phase microstructure of GO, which arises due to its oxidized chemistry, leads to differences in nano- vs meso–scale mechanical responses. Novel 2D materials, e.g., graphene oxide (GO), are attractive building blocks in the design of advanced materials due to their reactive chemistry, which can enhance interfacial interactions while providing good in-plane mechanical properties.
