Elastic properties of a macroscopic graphene sample from phonon dispersion measurements

The average elastic properties and the interatomic force constants of a quasi-freestanding graphene sample have been evaluated by analyzing the phonon dispersion measured by means of angle-resolved energy loss spectroscopy. We found a Poisson’s ratio of 0.19 and a Young’s modulus of 342 N/m. Such findings are in excellent agreement with calculations performed for a free-standing graphene membrane. Present results indicate that the high crystalline quality of graphene grown on metal substrates leads to macroscopic samples of high tensile strength and bending flexibility to be used for technological applications such as electromechanical devices and carbon-fiber reinforcements.