A novel mechanical cleavage method for synthesizing few-layer graphenes

A novel method to synthesize few layer graphene from bulk graphite by mechanical cleavage is presented here. The method involves the use of an ultrasharp single crystal diamond wedge to cleave a highly ordered pyrolytic graphite sample to generate the graphene layers. Cleaving is aided by the use of ultrasonic oscillations along the wedge. Characterization of the obtained layers shows that the process is able to synthesize graphene layers with an area of a few micrometers. Application of oscillation enhances the quality of the layers produced with the layers having a reduced crystallite size as determined from the Raman spectrum. Interesting edge structures are observed that needs further investigation

Oxidation resistance of graphene-coated Cu and Cu/Ni alloy

The ability to protect refined metals from reactive environments is vital to many industrial and academic applications. Current solutions, however, typically introduce several negative effects, including increased thickness and changes in the metal physical properties. In this paper, we demonstrate for the first time the ability of graphene films grown by chemical vapor deposition to protect the surface of the metallic growth substrates of Cu and Cu/Ni alloy from air oxidation. SEM, Raman spectroscopy, and XPS studies show that the metal surface is well protected from oxidation even after heating at 200 \degree C in air for up to 4 hours. Our work further shows that graphene provides effective resistance against hydrogen peroxide. This protection method offers significant advantages and can be used on any metal that catalyzes graphene growth

Probing Mechanical Properties of Graphene with Raman Spectroscopy

The use of Raman scattering techniques to study the mechanical properties of graphene films is reviewed here. The determination of Gruneisen parameters of suspended graphene sheets under uni- and bi-axial strain is discussed and the values are compared to theoretical predictions. The effects of the graphene-substrate interaction on strain and to the temperature evolution of the graphene Raman spectra are discussed. Finally, the relation between mechanical and thermal properties is presented along with the characterization of thermal properties of graphene with Raman spectroscopy.Comment: To appear in the Journal of Materials Scienc

Graphene Mode-Locked Ultrafast Laser

Graphene is at the center of a significant research effort. Near-ballistic transport at room temperature and high mobility make it a potential material for nanoelectronics. Its electronic and mechanical properties are also ideal for micro and nanomechanical systems, thin-film transistors and transparent and conductive composites and electrodes. Here we exploit the optoelectronic properties of graphene to realize an ultrafast laser. A graphene-polymer composite is fabricated using wet-chemistry techniques. Pauli blocking following intense illumination results in saturable absorption, independent of wavelength. This is used to passively mode-lock an Erbium-doped fibre laser working at 1559nm, with a 5.24nm spectral bandwidth and ~460fs pulse duration, paving the way to graphene-based photonics

Quantifying defects in graphene via Raman spectroscopy at different excitation energies.

We present a Raman study of Ar(+)-bombarded graphene samples with increasing ion doses. This allows us to have a controlled, increasing, amount of defects. We find that the ratio between the D and G peak intensities, for a given defect density, strongly depends on the laser excitation energy. We quantify this effect and present a simple equation for the determination of the point defect density in graphene via Raman spectroscopy for any visible excitation energy. We note that, for all excitations, the D to G intensity ratio reaches a maximum for an interdefect distance ∼3 nm. Thus, a given ratio could correspond to two different defect densities, above or below the maximum. The analysis of the G peak width and its dispersion with excitation energy solves this ambiguity

Probing the Nature of Defects in Graphene by Raman Spectroscopy

Raman Spectroscopy is able to probe disorder in graphene through defect-activated peaks. It is of great interest to link these features to the nature of disorder. Here we present a detailed analysis of the Raman spectra of graphene containing different type of defects. We found that the intensity ratio of the D and D' peak is maximum (~ 13) for sp3-defects, it decreases for vacancy-like defects (~ 7) and reaches a minimum for boundaries in graphite (~3.5).Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure

Technique for the Dry Transfer of Epitaxial Graphene onto Arbitrary Substrates

In order to make graphene technologically viable, the transfer of graphene films to substrates appropriate for specific applications is required. We demonstrate the dry transfer of epitaxial graphene (EG) from the C-face of 4H-SiC onto SiO2, GaN and Al2O3 substrates using a thermal release tape. We further report on the impact of this process on the electrical properties of the EG films. This process enables EG films to be used in flexible electronic devices or as optically transparent contacts.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures and supplementary info regarding procedure for transfe

Quality of Graphite Target for Biological/Biomedical/Environmental Applications of 14C-Accelerator Mass Spectrometry

Catalytic graphitization for 14C-accelerator mass spectrometry (14C-AMS) produced various forms of elemental carbon. Our high-throughput Zn reduction method (C/Fe = 1:5, 500 °C, 3 h) produced the AMS target of graphite-coated iron powder (GCIP), a mix of nongraphitic carbon and Fe3C. Crystallinity of the AMS targets of GCIP (nongraphitic carbon) was increased to turbostratic carbon by raising the C/Fe ratio from 1:5 to 1:1 and the graphitization temperature from 500 to 585 °C. The AMS target of GCIP containing turbostratic carbon had a large isotopic fractionation and a low AMS ion current. The AMS target of GCIP containing turbostratic carbon also yielded less accurate/precise 14C-AMS measurements because of the lower graphitization yield and lower thermal conductivity that were caused by the higher C/Fe ratio of 1:1. On the other hand, the AMS target of GCIP containing nongraphitic carbon had higher graphitization yield and better thermal conductivity over the AMS target of GCIP containing turbostratic carbon due to optimal surface area provided by the iron powder. Finally, graphitization yield and thermal conductivity were stronger determinants (over graphite crystallinity) for accurate/precise/high-throughput biological, biomedical, and environmental14C-AMS applications such as absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination (ADME), and physiologically based pharmacokinetics (PBPK) of nutrients, drugs, phytochemicals, and environmental chemicals

Biological/Biomedical Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Targets. 2. Physical, Morphological, and Structural Characteristics

The number of biological/biomedical applications that require AMS to achieve their goals is increasing, and so is the need for a better understanding of the physical, morphological, and structural traits of high quality of AMS targets. The metrics of quality included color, hardness/texture, and appearance (photo and SEM), along with FT-IR, Raman, and powder X-ray diffraction spectra that correlate positively with reliable and intense ion currents and accuracy, precision, and sensitivity of fraction modern (Fm). Our previous method produced AMS targets of gray-colored iron−carbon materials (ICM) 20% of the time and of graphite-coated iron (GCI) 80% of the time. The ICM was hard, its FT-IR spectra lacked the sp2 bond, its Raman spectra had no detectable G′ band at 2700 cm−1, and it had more iron carbide (Fe3C) crystal than nanocrystalline graphite or graphitizable carbon (g-C). ICM produced low and variable ion current whereas the opposite was true for the graphitic GCI. Our optimized method produced AMS targets of graphite-coated iron powder (GCIP) 100% of the time. The GCIP shared some of the same properties as GCI in that both were black in color, both produced robust ion current consistently, their FT-IR spectra had the sp2 bond, their Raman spectra had matching D, G, G′, D+G, and D′′ bands, and their XRD spectra showed matching crystal size. GCIP was a powder that was easy to tamp into AMS target holders that also facilitated high throughput. We concluded that AMS targets of GCIP were a mix of graphitizable carbon and Fe3C crystal, because none of their spectra, FT-IR, Raman, or XRD, matched exactly those of the graphite standard. Nevertheless, AMS targets of GCIP consistently produced the strong, reliable, and reproducible ion currents for high-throughput AMS analysis (270 targets per skilled analyst/day) along with accurate and precise Fm values