  The mechanical behaviour of graphene flakes under both tension and
compression is examined using a cantilever-beam arrangement. Two different sets
of samples were employed involving flakes just supported on a plastic bar but
also embedded within the plastic substrate. By monitoring the shift of the 2D
Raman line with strain, information on the stress transfer efficiency as a
function of stress sign and monolayer support were obtained. In tension, the
embedded flake seems to sustain strains up to 1.3%, whereas in compression
there is an indication of flake buckling at about 0.7% strain. The retainment
of such a high critical buckling strain confirms the relative high flexural
rigidity of the embedded monolayer.
