Nanomechanics research on two-dimensional (2D) materials has traditionally focused on probing their intrinsic mechanical properties, such as elasticity, friction, and fracture strength, under passive or non-functional conditions. Over the past decade, attention has begun to shift toward exploring how external stimuli, including strain, thermal, electric, and optical fields modulate their mechanical responses. Among these, electromechanical coupling, where applied electric fields alter mechanical behavior, offers exciting opportunities for in situ tunability of material properties, yet remains relatively unexplored with many unresolved questions. This review synthesizes the current state of knowledge on electromechanical coupling in 2D materials, focusing on experimental observations of how electric fields affect tribological behavior, elasticity and fracture mechanics, contextualized by theoretical simulations that elucidate the underlying mechanisms. The objective of the review is not only to consolidate current understanding but to identify critical knowledge gaps and outline future research directions needed to advance the rational design of electromechanically tunable 2D nanodevices.
Zhou et al. (Sun,) studied this question.