Functional graphene springs for responsive actuation.

A new type of graphene fiber spring (GFS) has been demonstrated to possess a large elongation of up to 480% with a stable elasticity coefficient for 100,000 times of stretch. Remarkably, the GFS performs reversibly stretchable actuation under electrostatic effects, and responds to an applied magnetic field for the development of novel magnetostriction switches and actuators once functionalized with magnetic nanocomponents.