Abstract
Through molecular mechanics we find that non-covalent interactions
modify the fractality of crumpled damaged graphene. Pristine graphene
membranes are damaged by adding random vacancies and carbon-hydrogen
bonds. Crumpled membranes exhibit a fractal dimension of 2.71 +/- 0.02
when all interactions between carbon atoms are considered, and 2.30 +/-
0.05 when non-covalent interactions are suppressed. The transition
between these two values, obtained by switching on/off the non-covalent
interactions of equilibrium configurations, is shown to be reversible
and independent on thermalisation. In order to explain this transition,
we propose a theoretical model that is compatible with our numerical
findings. Finally, we also compare damaged graphene membranes with other
crumpled structures, as for instance polymerised membranes and paper
sheets, that share similar scaling properties.
