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Verma AK, Sharma BB. Experimental and Theoretical Insights into Interfacial Properties of 2D Materials for Selective Water Transport Membranes: A Critical Review. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:7812-7834. [PMID: 38587122 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c00061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Interfacial properties, such as wettability and friction, play critical roles in nanofluidics and desalination. Understanding the interfacial properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials is crucial in these applications due to the close interaction between liquids and the solid surface. The most important interfacial properties of a solid surface include the water contact angle, which quantifies the extent of interactions between the surface and water, and the water slip length, which determines how much faster water can flow on the surface beyond the predictions of continuum fluid mechanics. This Review seeks to elucidate the mechanism that governs the interfacial properties of diverse 2D materials, including transition metal dichalcogenides (e.g., MoS2), graphene, and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). Our work consolidates existing experimental and computational insights into 2D material synthesis and modeling and explores their interfacial properties for desalination. We investigated the capabilities of density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulations in analyzing the interfacial properties of 2D materials. Specifically, we highlight how MD simulations have revolutionized our understanding of these properties, paving the way for their effective application in desalination. This Review of the synthesis and interfacial properties of 2D materials unlocks opportunities for further advancement and optimization in desalination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashutosh Kumar Verma
- School of Chemical Engineering, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, United States
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Takahashi S, Uchida S, Jayaweera PVV, Kaneko S, Segawa H. Impact of compact TiO 2 interface modification on the crystallinity of perovskite solar cells. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16068. [PMID: 37752239 PMCID: PMC10522660 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43395-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The effect of TiO2 interfacial morphology on perovskite crystallinity was investigated by modifying the micro and nanoscale surface roughness of compact TiO2. While surface treatments of the compact TiO2 layer are recognized as effective strategies to enhance the photovoltaic performance of perovskite solar cells, the discussion regarding the crystallinity of perovskite atop TiO2 has been limited. In this study, we explored the impact of micro and nano scale interface morphology on perovskite crystal formation and its subsequent effects on device performance. Surprisingly, despite the absence of noticeable voids at the interface between the compact TiO2 and perovskite layers, the perovskite crystal morphology exhibited significant improvement following either micro or nanoscale interfacial modification. This enhancement ultimately led to improved photoconversion efficiency and reduced I-V hysteresis. These results emphasize the importance of underlayer surface morphology in the perovskite crystallization and suggest that the presence of grain boundaries within the perovskite layer may also contribute to I-V hysteresis in perovskite solar cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saemi Takahashi
- Research Association for Technology Innovation of Organic Photovoltaics (RATO), Komaba 4-6-1, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan
- Department of General Systems Studies, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba 3-8-1, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan
| | - Satoshi Uchida
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Komaba 4-6-1, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan.
| | | | - Shoji Kaneko
- SPD Laboratory, Inc., Johoku 2-35-1, Naka-ku, Hamamatsu, 432-8011, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Segawa
- Research Association for Technology Innovation of Organic Photovoltaics (RATO), Komaba 4-6-1, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan.
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Komaba 4-6-1, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8904, Japan.
- Department of General Systems Studies, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba 3-8-1, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8902, Japan.
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Bhowmik S, Govind Rajan A. Chemical vapor deposition of 2D materials: A review of modeling, simulation, and machine learning studies. iScience 2022; 25:103832. [PMID: 35243221 PMCID: PMC8857588 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is extensively used to produce large-area two-dimensional (2D) materials. Current research is aimed at understanding mechanisms underlying the nucleation and growth of various 2D materials, such as graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), and transition metal dichalcogenides (e.g., MoS2/WSe2). Herein, we survey the vast literature regarding modeling and simulation of the CVD growth of 2D materials and their heterostructures. We also focus on newer materials, such as silicene, phosphorene, and borophene. We discuss how density functional theory, kinetic Monte Carlo, and reactive molecular dynamics simulations can shed light on the thermodynamics and kinetics of vapor-phase synthesis. We explain how machine learning can be used to develop insights into growth mechanisms and outcomes, as well as outline the open knowledge gaps in the literature. Our work provides consolidated theoretical insights into the CVD growth of 2D materials and presents opportunities for further understanding and improving such processes
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Zhang Z, Yang X, Liu K, Wang R. Epitaxy of 2D Materials toward Single Crystals. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2105201. [PMID: 35038381 PMCID: PMC8922126 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202105201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Two-dimensional (2D) materials exhibit unique electronic, optical, magnetic, mechanical, and thermal properties due to their special crystal structure and thus have promising potential in many fields, such as in electronics and optoelectronics. To realize their real applications, especially in integrated devices, the growth of large-size single crystal is a prerequisite. Up to now, the most feasible way to achieve 2D single crystal growth is the epitaxy: growth of 2D materials of one or more specific orientations with single-crystal substrate. Only when the 2D domains have the same orientation, they can stitch together seamlessly and single-crystal 2D films can be obtained. In this view, four different epitaxy modes of 2D materials on various substrates are presented, including van der Waals epitaxy, edge epitaxy, step-guided epitaxy, and in-plane epitaxy focusing on the growth of graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), and transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC). The lattice symmetry relation and the interaction between 2D materials and the substrate are the key factors determining the epitaxy behaviors and thus are systematically discussed. Finally, the opportunities and challenges about the epitaxy of 2D single crystals in the future are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihong Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Materials Genome EngineeringBeijing Key Laboratory for Magneto‐Photoelectrical Composite and Interface ScienceInstitute for Multidisciplinary InnovationSchool of Mathematics and PhysicsUniversity of Science and Technology BeijingBeijing100083China
- Interdisciplinary Institute of Light‐Element Quantum Materials and Research Centre for Light‐Element Advanced MaterialsPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Xiaonan Yang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Materials Genome EngineeringBeijing Key Laboratory for Magneto‐Photoelectrical Composite and Interface ScienceInstitute for Multidisciplinary InnovationSchool of Mathematics and PhysicsUniversity of Science and Technology BeijingBeijing100083China
| | - Kaihui Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Mesoscopic Physics and Frontiers Science Center for Nano‐optoelectronicsSchool of PhysicsPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
- Interdisciplinary Institute of Light‐Element Quantum Materials and Research Centre for Light‐Element Advanced MaterialsPeking UniversityBeijing100871China
| | - Rongming Wang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Materials Genome EngineeringBeijing Key Laboratory for Magneto‐Photoelectrical Composite and Interface ScienceInstitute for Multidisciplinary InnovationSchool of Mathematics and PhysicsUniversity of Science and Technology BeijingBeijing100083China
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Computational Characterization of Nanosystems. CHINESE J CHEM PHYS 2022. [DOI: 10.1063/1674-0068/cjcp2111233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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Dong J, Zhang L, Wu B, Ding F, Liu Y. Theoretical Study of Chemical Vapor Deposition Synthesis of Graphene and Beyond: Challenges and Perspectives. J Phys Chem Lett 2021; 12:7942-7963. [PMID: 34387496 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.1c02316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted great attention in recent years because of their unique dimensionality and related properties. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD), a crucial technique for thin-film epitaxial growth, has become the most promising method of synthesizing 2D materials. Different from traditional thin-film growth, where strong chemical bonds are involved in both thin films and substrates, the interaction in 2D materials and substrates involves the van der Waals force and is highly anisotropic, and therefore, traditional thin-film growth theories cannot be applied to 2D material CVD synthesis. During the last 15 years, extensive theoretical studies were devoted to the CVD synthesis of 2D materials. This Perspective attempts to present a theoretical framework for 2D material CVD synthesis as well as the challenges and opportunities in exploring CVD mechanisms. We hope that this Perspective can provide an in-depth understanding of 2D material CVD synthesis and can further stimulate 2D material synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jichen Dong
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
| | - Leining Zhang
- Centre for Multidimensional Carbon Materials, Institute for Basic Science, Ulsan 44919, South Korea
| | - Bin Wu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
| | - Feng Ding
- Centre for Multidimensional Carbon Materials, Institute for Basic Science, Ulsan 44919, South Korea
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan 44919, South Korea
| | - Yunqi Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Organic Solids, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
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Chen S, Gao J, Srinivasan BM, Zhang G, Sorkin V, Hariharaputran R, Zhang YW. An all-atom kinetic Monte Carlo model for chemical vapor deposition growth of graphene on Cu(1 1 1) substrate. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2020; 32:155401. [PMID: 31846953 DOI: 10.1088/1361-648x/ab62bf] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Various graphene morphologies (compact hexagonal, dendritic, and circular domains) have been observed during chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth on Cu substrate. The existing all-atom kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) models, however, are unable to reproduce all these graphene morphologies, suggesting that some crucial atomistic events that dictate the morphology are missing. In this work, we propose an all-atom kMC model to simulate the graphene CVD growth on Cu substrate. Besides the usual atomistic events, such as the deposition and diffusion of carbon species on the substrate, and their attachments to the edge, we further include three other important events, that is, the edge attachment of carbon species to form a kink, the diffusion of carbon species along the edge, and the rotation of dimers to form kinks. All the energetic parameters of these events are obtained from first-principles calculations. With this new model, we successfully predict the growth of various graphene morphologies, which are consistent with the morphology phase diagram. In addition to confirming that carbon dimers are the dominant feeding species, we also find that the dominance level depends on the growth flux and temperature. Therefore, the proposed model is able to capture the growth kinetics, providing a useful tool for controlled synthesis of graphene with desired morphologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Chen
- Institute of High Performance Computing, A*STAR, 138632, Singapore
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Chen S, Gao J, Srinivasan BM, Zhang G, Yang M, Chai J, Wang S, Chi D, Zhang YW. Revealing the Grain Boundary Formation Mechanism and Kinetics during Polycrystalline MoS 2 Growth. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2019; 11:46090-46100. [PMID: 31714053 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b15654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Controllable synthesis of MoS2 with desired grain morphology via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or physical vapor deposition (PVD) remains a challenge. Hence, it is important to understand polycrystalline growth of MoS2 and further provide guidelines for its CVD/PVD growth. Here, we formulate a kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) model aiming at predicting the grain boundary (GB) formation in the CVD/PVD growth of polycrystalline MoS2. In the kMC model, the grain growth is via kink nucleation and propagation, whose energetic parameters and initial nucleus details are either from first-principles calculations or from experiments. Using the kMC model, we perform extensive simulations to predict the GB formation by using two, three, four, and five initial nuclei and compare the simulation results with previous experimental results. The obtained GB morphologies are in an excellent agreement with those experimental results. These agreements suggest that the proposed kMC model can correctly capture the mechanism and kinetics of GB formation. In particular, we reveal that the formation of smooth/rough GB is dictated by the two growth vectors for the kink propagation at the two associated grain edges, which is validated by our high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy images for PVD growth of MoS2 grains. Besides, we have made predictions beyond reproducing experimental observations, including the growth with artificially designed nuclei, the morphology transformation by tuning the Mo and S sources, and the formation of high-quality single-crystalline monolayer MoS2 by using single-crystalline substrates with vicinal steps. Our kMC model may serve as a powerful predictive tool for the CVD/PVD growth of monolayer MoS2 with desired GB configurations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Chen
- Institute of High Performance Computing, A*STAR , Singapore 138632
| | - Junfeng Gao
- Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams , Dalian University of Technology, Ministry of Education , Dalian 116024 , People's Republic of China
| | | | - Gang Zhang
- Institute of High Performance Computing, A*STAR , Singapore 138632
| | - Ming Yang
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*STAR , Singapore 138634
| | - Jianwei Chai
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*STAR , Singapore 138634
| | - Shijie Wang
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*STAR , Singapore 138634
| | - Dongzhi Chi
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*STAR , Singapore 138634
| | - Yong-Wei Zhang
- Institute of High Performance Computing, A*STAR , Singapore 138632
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Dong J, Zhang L, Ding F. Kinetics of Graphene and 2D Materials Growth. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2019; 31:e1801583. [PMID: 30318816 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201801583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
During the last 10 years, remarkable achievements on the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of 2D materials have been made, but the understanding of the underlying mechanisms is still relatively limited. Here, the current progress on the understanding of the growth kinetics of 2D materials, especially for their CVD synthesis, is reviewed. In order to present a complete picture of 2D materials' growth kinetics, the following factors are discussed: i) two types of growth modes, namely attachment-limited growth and diffusion-limited growth; ii) the etching of 2D materials, which offers an additional degree of freedom for growth control; iii) a number of experimental factors in graphene CVD synthesis, such as structure of the substrate, pressure of hydrogen or oxygen, temperature, etc., which are found to have profound effects on the growth kinetics; iv) double-layer and few-layer 2D materials' growth, which has distinct features different from the growth of single-layer 2D materials; and v) the growth of polycrystalline 2D materials by the coalescence of a few single crystalline domains. Finally, the current challenges and opportunities in future 2D materials' synthesis are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jichen Dong
- Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Leining Zhang
- Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
| | - Feng Ding
- Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan, 44919, Republic of Korea
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Gao J, Xu Z, Chen S, Bharathi MS, Zhang YW. Computational Understanding of the Growth of 2D Materials. ADVANCED THEORY AND SIMULATIONS 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/adts.201800085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Gao
- Institute of High Performance Computing; A*STAR Singapore 138632 Singapore
| | - Ziwei Xu
- School of Materials Science & Engineering; Jiangsu University; Zhenjiang 212013 China
| | - Shuai Chen
- Institute of High Performance Computing; A*STAR Singapore 138632 Singapore
| | | | - Yong-Wei Zhang
- Institute of High Performance Computing; A*STAR Singapore 138632 Singapore
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Huang M, Biswal M, Park HJ, Jin S, Qu D, Hong S, Zhu Z, Qiu L, Luo D, Liu X, Yang Z, Liu Z, Huang Y, Lim H, Yoo WJ, Ding F, Wang Y, Lee Z, Ruoff RS. Highly Oriented Monolayer Graphene Grown on a Cu/Ni(111) Alloy Foil. ACS NANO 2018; 12:6117-6127. [PMID: 29790339 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b02444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Fast-growth of single crystal monolayer graphene by CVD using methane and hydrogen has been achieved on "homemade" single crystal Cu/Ni(111) alloy foils over large area. Full coverage was achieved in 5 min or less for a particular range of composition (1.3 at.% to 8.6 at.% Ni), as compared to 60 min for a pure Cu(111) foil under identical growth conditions. These are the bulk atomic percentages of Ni, as a superstructure at the surface of these foils with stoichiometry Cu6Ni1 (for 1.3 to 7.8 bulk at.% Ni in the Cu/Ni(111) foil) was discovered by low energy electron diffraction (LEED). Complete large area monolayer graphene films are either single crystal or close to single crystal, and include folded regions that are essentially parallel and that were likely wrinkles that "fell over" to bind to the surface; these folds are separated by large, wrinkle-free regions. The folds occur due to the buildup of interfacial compressive stress (and its release) during cooling of the foils from 1075 °C to room temperature. The fold heights measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) prove them to all be 3 layers thick, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging shows them to be around 10 to 300 nm wide and separated by roughly 20 μm. These folds are always essentially perpendicular to the steps in this Cu/Ni(111) substrate. Joining of well-aligned graphene islands (in growths that were terminated prior to full film coverage) was investigated with high magnification SEM and aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as well as AFM, STM, and optical microscopy. These methods show that many of the "join regions" have folds, and these arise from interfacial adhesion mechanics (they are due to the buildup of compressive stress during cool-down, but these folds are different than for the continuous graphene films-they occur due to "weak links" in terms of the interface mechanics). Such Cu/Ni(111) alloy foils are promising substrates for the large-scale synthesis of single-crystal graphene film.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Huang
- Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials (CMCM) , Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Ulsan 44919 , Republic of Korea
- School of Materials Science and Engineering , Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , Ulsan 44919 , Republic of Korea
| | - Mandakini Biswal
- Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials (CMCM) , Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Ulsan 44919 , Republic of Korea
| | - Hyo Ju Park
- Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials (CMCM) , Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Ulsan 44919 , Republic of Korea
- School of Materials Science and Engineering , Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , Ulsan 44919 , Republic of Korea
| | - Sunghwan Jin
- Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials (CMCM) , Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Ulsan 44919 , Republic of Korea
| | - Deshun Qu
- Department of Nano Science and Technology, SKKU Advanced Institute of Nano-Technology (SAINT) , Sungkyunkwan University , 2066 Seobu-ro , Jangan-gu, Suwon , Gyeonggi-do 16419 , Republic of Korea
| | - Seokmo Hong
- Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials (CMCM) , Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Ulsan 44919 , Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemistry , Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , Ulsan 44919 , Republic of Korea
| | - Zhili Zhu
- Institute of Physics and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190 , China
| | - Lu Qiu
- Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials (CMCM) , Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Ulsan 44919 , Republic of Korea
- School of Materials Science and Engineering , Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , Ulsan 44919 , Republic of Korea
| | - Da Luo
- Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials (CMCM) , Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Ulsan 44919 , Republic of Korea
| | - Xiaochi Liu
- Department of Nano Science and Technology, SKKU Advanced Institute of Nano-Technology (SAINT) , Sungkyunkwan University , 2066 Seobu-ro , Jangan-gu, Suwon , Gyeonggi-do 16419 , Republic of Korea
| | - Zheng Yang
- Department of Nano Science and Technology, SKKU Advanced Institute of Nano-Technology (SAINT) , Sungkyunkwan University , 2066 Seobu-ro , Jangan-gu, Suwon , Gyeonggi-do 16419 , Republic of Korea
| | - Zhongliu Liu
- Institute of Physics and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190 , China
| | - Yuan Huang
- Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials (CMCM) , Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Ulsan 44919 , Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunseob Lim
- Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials (CMCM) , Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Ulsan 44919 , Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemistry , Chonnam National University , Gwangju 61186 , Republic of Korea
| | - Won Jong Yoo
- Department of Nano Science and Technology, SKKU Advanced Institute of Nano-Technology (SAINT) , Sungkyunkwan University , 2066 Seobu-ro , Jangan-gu, Suwon , Gyeonggi-do 16419 , Republic of Korea
| | - Feng Ding
- Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials (CMCM) , Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Ulsan 44919 , Republic of Korea
- School of Materials Science and Engineering , Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , Ulsan 44919 , Republic of Korea
| | - Yeliang Wang
- Institute of Physics and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190 , China
| | - Zonghoon Lee
- Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials (CMCM) , Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Ulsan 44919 , Republic of Korea
- School of Materials Science and Engineering , Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , Ulsan 44919 , Republic of Korea
| | - Rodney S Ruoff
- Center for Multidimensional Carbon Materials (CMCM) , Institute for Basic Science (IBS) , Ulsan 44919 , Republic of Korea
- School of Materials Science and Engineering , Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , Ulsan 44919 , Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemistry , Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , Ulsan 44919 , Republic of Korea
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Qiu Z, Li P, Li Z, Yang J. Atomistic Simulations of Graphene Growth: From Kinetics to Mechanism. Acc Chem Res 2018; 51:728-735. [PMID: 29493220 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.7b00592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Epitaxial growth is a promising strategy to produce high-quality graphene samples. At the same time, this method has great flexibility for industrial scale-up. To optimize growth protocols, it is essential to understand the underlying growth mechanisms. This is, however, very challenging, as the growth process is complicated and involves many elementary steps. Experimentally, atomic-scale in situ characterization methods are generally not feasible at the high temperature of graphene growth. Therefore, kinetics is the main experimental information to study growth mechanisms. Theoretically, first-principles calculations routinely provide atomic structures and energetics but have a stringent limit on the accessible spatial and time scales. Such gap between experiment and theory can be bridged by atomistic simulations using first-principles atomic details as input and providing the overall growth kinetics, which can be directly compared with experiment, as output. Typically, system-specific approximations should be applied to make such simulations computationally feasible. By feeding kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) simulations with first-principles parameters, we can directly simulate the graphene growth process and thus understand the growth mechanisms. Our simulations suggest that the carbon dimer is the dominant feeding species in the epitaxial growth of graphene on both Cu(111) and Cu(100) surfaces, which enables us to understand why the reaction is diffusion limited on Cu(111) but attachment limited on Cu(100). When hydrogen is explicitly considered in the simulation, the central role hydrogen plays in graphene growth is revealed, which solves the long-standing puzzle into why H2 should be fed in the chemical vapor deposition of graphene. The simulation results can be directly compared with the experimental kinetic data, if available. Our kMC simulations reproduce the experimentally observed quintic-like behavior of graphene growth on Ir(111). By checking the simulation results, we find that such nonlinearity is caused by lattice mismatch, and the induced growth front inhomogeneity can be universally used to predict growth behaviors in other heteroepitaxial systems. Notably, although experimental kinetics usually gives useful insight into atomic mechanisms, it can sometimes be misleading. Such pitfalls can be avoided via atomistic simulations, as demonstrated in our study of the graphene etching process. Growth protocols can be designed theoretically with computational kinetic and mechanistic information. By contrasting the different activation energies involved in an atom-exchange-based carbon penetration process for monolayer and bilayer graphene, we propose a three-step strategy to grow high-quality bilayer graphene. Based on first-principles parameters, a kinetic pathway toward the high-density, ordered N doping of epitaxial graphene on Cu(111) using a C5NCl5 precursor is also identified. These studies demonstrate that atomistic simulations can unambiguously produce or reproduce the kinetic information on graphene growth, which is pivotal to understanding the growth mechanism and designing better growth protocols. A similar strategy can be used in growth mechanism studies of other two-dimensional atomic crystals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongyang Qiu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Pai Li
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Zhenyu Li
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Jinlong Yang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
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Habib MR, Liang T, Yu X, Pi X, Liu Y, Xu M. A review of theoretical study of graphene chemical vapor deposition synthesis on metals: nucleation, growth, and the role of hydrogen and oxygen. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2018; 81:036501. [PMID: 29355108 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6633/aa9bbf] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Graphene has attracted intense research interest due to its extraordinary properties and great application potential. Various methods have been proposed for the synthesis of graphene, among which chemical vapor deposition has drawn a great deal of attention for synthesizing large-area and high-quality graphene. Theoretical understanding of the synthesis mechanism is crucial for optimizing the experimental design for desired graphene production. In this review, we discuss the three fundamental steps of graphene synthesis in details, i.e. (1) decomposition of carbon feedstocks and formation of various active carbon species, (2) nucleation, and (3) attachment and extension. We provide a complete scenario of graphene synthesis on metal surfaces at atomistic level by means of density functional theory, molecular dynamics (MD), Monte Carlo (MC) and their combination and interface with other simulation methods such as quantum mechanical molecular dynamics, density functional tight binding molecular dynamics, and combination of MD and MC. We also address the latest investigation of the influences of the hydrogen and oxygen on the synthesis and the quality of the synthesized graphene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Rezwan Habib
- State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, College of Information Science and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People's Republic of China
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Tetlow H, Curcio D, Baraldi A, Kantorovich L. Hydrocarbon decomposition kinetics on the Ir(111) surface. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2018; 20:6083-6099. [PMID: 29303172 DOI: 10.1039/c7cp07526j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The kinetics of the thermal decomposition of hydrocarbons on the Ir(111) surface is determined using kinetic Monte Carlo (kMC) and rate equations simulations, both based on the density functional theory (DFT) calculated energy barriers of the involved reaction processes. This decomposition process is important for understanding the early stages of epitaxial graphene growth where the deposited hydrocarbon acts as a carbon feedstock for graphene formation. The methodology of the kMC simulations and the rate equation approaches is discussed and a comparison between the results obtained from both approaches is made in the case of the temperature programmed decomposition of ethylene for different initial coverages. The theoretical results are verified against experimental data from in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) experiments. Both theoretical approaches give reasonable results; however we find that, as expected, rate equations are less reliable at high coverages. We find that the agreement between experiment and theory can be improved in all cases if slight adjustments are made to the energy barriers in order to account for the intrinsic errors in DFT. Finally we extend our approach to the case where hydrocarbon species are dosed onto the substrate continuously, as in the chemical vapour deposition (CVD) graphene growth method. For ethylene and methane the thermal decomposition mechanism is determined, and it is found that in both cases the formation of C monomers is to be expected, which is limited by the presence of hydrogen atoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Tetlow
- Physics Department, King's College London, Strand, London, WC2R 2LS, UK.
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15
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McLean B, Eveleens CA, Mitchell I, Webber GB, Page AJ. Catalytic CVD synthesis of boron nitride and carbon nanomaterials - synergies between experiment and theory. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2018; 19:26466-26494. [PMID: 28849841 DOI: 10.1039/c7cp03835f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Low-dimensional carbon and boron nitride nanomaterials - hexagonal boron nitride, graphene, boron nitride nanotubes and carbon nanotubes - remain at the forefront of advanced materials research. Catalytic chemical vapour deposition has become an invaluable technique for reliably and cost-effectively synthesising these materials. In this review, we will emphasise how a synergy between experimental and theoretical methods has enhanced the understanding and optimisation of this synthetic technique. This review examines recent advances in the application of CVD to synthesising boron nitride and carbon nanomaterials and highlights where, in many cases, molecular simulations and quantum chemistry have provided key insights complementary to experimental investigation. This synergy is particularly prominent in the field of carbon nanotube and graphene CVD synthesis, and we propose here it will be the key to future advances in optimisation of CVD synthesis of boron nitride nanomaterials, boron nitride - carbon composite materials, and other nanomaterials generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben McLean
- School of Environmental & Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan NSW 2308, Australia.
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16
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Feng Y, Chen K, Li XZ, Wang E, Zhang L. Hydrogen induced contrasting modes of initial nucleations of graphene on transition metal surfaces. J Chem Phys 2017; 146:034704. [PMID: 28109213 DOI: 10.1063/1.4974178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Our first-principles calculations reveal that there exist contrasting modes of initial nucleations of graphene on transition metal surfaces, in which hydrogen plays the role. On Cu(100) and Cu(111) surfaces, an sp2-type network of carbons can be automatically formed with the help of hydrogen under very low carbon coverages. Thus, by tuning the chemical potential of hydrogen, both of the nucleation process and the following growth can be finely controlled. In contrast, on the Ni(111) surface, instead of hydrogen, the carbon coverage is the critical factor for the nucleation and growth. These findings serve as new insights for further improving the poor quality of the grown graphene on transition metal substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yexin Feng
- School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, People's Republic of China
| | - Keqiu Chen
- School of Physics and Electronics, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin-Zheng Li
- International Center for Quantum Materials and School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Enge Wang
- International Center for Quantum Materials and School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
| | - Lixin Zhang
- School of Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China
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17
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Tetlow H, Ford IJ, Kantorovich L. A free energy study of carbon clusters on Ir(111): Precursors to graphene growth. J Chem Phys 2017; 146:044702. [DOI: 10.1063/1.4974335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- H. Tetlow
- Department of Physics, King’s College London, The Strand, London WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| | - I. J. Ford
- Department of Physics and Astronomy and London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - L. Kantorovich
- Department of Physics, King’s College London, The Strand, London WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
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18
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Chen S, Xiong W, Zhou YS, Lu YF, Zeng XC. An ab initio study of the nickel-catalyzed transformation of amorphous carbon into graphene in rapid thermal processing. NANOSCALE 2016; 8:9746-55. [PMID: 27117235 DOI: 10.1039/c5nr08614k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations are employed to investigate the chemical mechanism underlying the Ni-catalyzed transformation of amorphous carbon (a-C) into graphene in the rapid thermal processing (RTP) experiment to directly grow graphene on various dielectric surfaces via the evaporation of surplus Ni and C at 1100 °C (below the melting point of bulk Ni). It is found that the a-C-to-graphene transformation entails the metal-induced crystallization and layer exchange mechanism, rather than the conventional dissolution/precipitation mechanism typically involved in Ni-catalyzed chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth of graphene. The multi-layer graphene can be tuned by changing the relative thicknesses of deposited a-C and Ni thin films. Our AIMD simulations suggest that the easy evaporation of surplus Ni with excess C is likely attributed to the formation of a viscous-liquid-like Ni-C solution within the temperature range of 900-1800 K and to the faster diffusion of C atoms than that of Ni atoms above 600 K. Even at room temperature, sp(3)-C atoms in a-C are quickly converted to sp(2)-C atoms in the course of the simulation, and the graphitic C formation can occur at low temperature. When the temperature is as high as 1200 K, the grown graphitic structures reversely dissolve into Ni. Because the rate of temperature increase is considerably faster in the AIMD simulations than in realistic experiments, defects in the grown graphitic structures are kinetically trapped. In this kinetic growth stage, the carbon structures grown from sp(3)-carbon or from sp(2)-carbon exhibit marked differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588, USA.
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19
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Gao J, Zhang G, Zhang YW. The Critical Role of Substrate in Stabilizing Phosphorene Nanoflake: A Theoretical Exploration. J Am Chem Soc 2016; 138:4763-71. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b12472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Gao
- Institute of High Performance Computing, A*STAR, Singapore 138632, Singapore
| | - Gang Zhang
- Institute of High Performance Computing, A*STAR, Singapore 138632, Singapore
| | - Yong-Wei Zhang
- Institute of High Performance Computing, A*STAR, Singapore 138632, Singapore
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20
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Fu Z, An Y. The growth modes of graphene in the initial stage of a chemical vapor-deposition process. RSC Adv 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ra18023j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The different growth modes of carbon chains and carbon islands in the initial stage of graphene growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoming Fu
- College of Physics and Materials Science
- Henan Normal University
- Xinxiang 453007
- China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics
| | - Yipeng An
- College of Physics and Materials Science
- Henan Normal University
- Xinxiang 453007
- China
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21
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Jiang H, Hou Z. Large-scale epitaxial growth kinetics of graphene: A kinetic Monte Carlo study. J Chem Phys 2015; 143:084109. [PMID: 26328820 DOI: 10.1063/1.4929471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Epitaxial growth via chemical vapor deposition is considered to be the most promising way towards synthesizing large area graphene with high quality. However, it remains a big theoretical challenge to reveal growth kinetics with atomically energetic and large-scale spatial information included. Here, we propose a minimal kinetic Monte Carlo model to address such an issue on an active catalyst surface with graphene/substrate lattice mismatch, which facilitates us to perform large scale simulations of the growth kinetics over two dimensional surface with growth fronts of complex shapes. A geometry-determined large-scale growth mechanism is revealed, where the rate-dominating event is found to be C1-attachment for concave growth-front segments and C5-attachment for others. This growth mechanism leads to an interesting time-resolved growth behavior which is well consistent with that observed in a recent scanning tunneling microscopy experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huijun Jiang
- Department of Chemical Physics and Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscales, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Zhonghuai Hou
- Department of Chemical Physics and Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscales, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
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22
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Li G, Huang SH, Li Z. Gas-phase dynamics in graphene growth by chemical vapour deposition. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2015; 17:22832-6. [PMID: 26265486 DOI: 10.1039/c5cp02301g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Chemical vapour deposition on a Cu substrate is becoming a very important approach to obtain high quality graphene samples. Previous studies of graphene growth on Cu mainly focus on surface processes. However, recent experiments suggest that gas-phase dynamics also plays an important role in graphene growth. In this article, gas-phase processes are systematically studied using computational fluid dynamics. Our simulations clearly show that graphene growth is limited by mass transport under ambient pressures while it is limited by surface reactions under low pressures. The carbon deposition rate at different positions in the tube furnace and the concentration of different gas phase species are calculated. Our results confirm that the previously realized graphene thickness control by changing the position of the Cu foil is a result of gas-phase methane decomposition reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gan Li
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Science at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
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23
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Wu P, Zhang Y, Cui P, Li Z, Yang J, Zhang Z. Carbon dimers as the dominant feeding species in epitaxial growth and morphological phase transition of graphene on different Cu substrates. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2015; 114:216102. [PMID: 26066446 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.114.216102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Cu substrates are highly preferred for the potential mass production of high-quality graphene, yet many of the important aspects of the atomistic growth mechanisms involved remain to be explored. Using multiscale modeling, we identify C-C dimers as the dominant feeding species in the epitaxial growth of graphene on both Cu(111) and Cu(100) substrates. By contrasting the different activation energies involved in C-C dimer diffusion on terraces and its attachment at graphene island edges, we further reveal why graphene growth is diffusion limited on Cu(111), but attachment limited on Cu(100). We also find even higher potential energy barriers against dimer diffusion along the island edges; consequently, a dendritic-to-compact transition is predicted to take place during graphene enlargement on either substrate, but at different growth temperatures. These findings serve as new insights for better control of epitaxial graphene growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Wu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Centre for Excellence and Synergetic Innovation Center of Quantum Information & Quantum Physics, and International Center for Quantum Design of Functional Materials (ICQD), University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Centre for Excellence and Synergetic Innovation Center of Quantum Information & Quantum Physics, and International Center for Quantum Design of Functional Materials (ICQD), University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Ping Cui
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Centre for Excellence and Synergetic Innovation Center of Quantum Information & Quantum Physics, and International Center for Quantum Design of Functional Materials (ICQD), University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Zhenyu Li
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Centre for Excellence and Synergetic Innovation Center of Quantum Information & Quantum Physics, and International Center for Quantum Design of Functional Materials (ICQD), University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Jinlong Yang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Centre for Excellence and Synergetic Innovation Center of Quantum Information & Quantum Physics, and International Center for Quantum Design of Functional Materials (ICQD), University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Zhenyu Zhang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, CAS Centre for Excellence and Synergetic Innovation Center of Quantum Information & Quantum Physics, and International Center for Quantum Design of Functional Materials (ICQD), University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
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Wu F, Huang J, Li Q, Deng K, Kan E. Coexistence of metallic and insulating-like states in graphene. Sci Rep 2015; 5:8974. [PMID: 25754862 PMCID: PMC4354033 DOI: 10.1038/srep08974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Since graphene has been taken as the potential host material for next-generation electric devices, coexistence of high carrier mobility and an energy gap has the determining role in its real applications. However, in conventional methods of band-gap engineering, the energy gap and carrier mobility in graphene are seemed to be the two terminals of a seesaw, which limit its rapid development in electronic devices. Here we demonstrated the realization of insulating-like state in graphene without breaking Dirac cone. Using first-principles calculations, we found that ferroelectric substrate not only well reserves the Dirac fermions, but also induces pseudo-gap states in graphene. Calculated transport results clearly revealed that electrons cannot move along the ferroelectric direction. Thus, our work established a new concept of opening an energy gap in graphene without reducing the high mobility of carriers, which is a step towards manufacturing graphene-based devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Wu
- 1] School of Science, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210037, P. R. China [2] Key Laboratory of Soft Chemistry and Functional Materials (Ministry of Education), and Department of Applied Physics, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210094, P. R. China
| | - Jing Huang
- School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Anhui University of Architecture, Hefei, Anhui 230022, P. R. China
| | - Qunxiang Li
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, P. R. China
| | - Kaiming Deng
- Key Laboratory of Soft Chemistry and Functional Materials (Ministry of Education), and Department of Applied Physics, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210094, P. R. China
| | - Erjun Kan
- Key Laboratory of Soft Chemistry and Functional Materials (Ministry of Education), and Department of Applied Physics, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210094, P. R. China
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25
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Shu H, Tao XM, Ding F. What are the active carbon species during graphene chemical vapor deposition growth? NANOSCALE 2015; 7:1627-1634. [PMID: 25553809 DOI: 10.1039/c4nr05590j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The dissociation of carbon feedstock is a crucial step for understanding the mechanism of graphene chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth. Using first-principles calculations, we performed a comprehensive theoretical study for the population of various active carbon species, including carbon monomers and various radicals, CHi (i = 1, 2, 3, 4), on four representative transition-metal surfaces, Cu(111), Ni(111), Ir(111) and Rh(111), under different experimental conditions. On the Cu surface, which is less active, the population of CH and C monomers at the subsurface is found to be very high and thus they are the most important precursors for graphene CVD growth. On the Ni surface, which is more active than Cu, C monomers at the subsurface dominate graphene CVD growth under most experimental conditions. In contrast, on the active Ir and Rh surfaces, C monomers on the surfaces are found to be very stable and thus are the main precursors for graphene growth. This study shows that the mechanism of graphene CVD growth depends on the activity of catalyst surfaces and the detailed graphene growth process at the atomic level can be controlled by varying the temperature or partial pressure of hydrogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibo Shu
- Institute of Textiles and Clothing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
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27
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28
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Gao J, Ding F. The Structure and Stability of Magic Carbon Clusters Observed in Graphene Chemical Vapor Deposition Growth on Ru(0001) and Rh(111) Surfaces. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201406570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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29
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Gao J, Ding F. The Structure and Stability of Magic Carbon Clusters Observed in Graphene Chemical Vapor Deposition Growth on Ru(0001) and Rh(111) Surfaces. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2014; 53:14031-5. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201406570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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30
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Yuan Q, Song G, Sun D, Ding F. Formation of graphene grain boundaries on Cu(100) surface and a route towards their elimination in chemical vapor deposition growth. Sci Rep 2014; 4:6541. [PMID: 25286970 PMCID: PMC4187007 DOI: 10.1038/srep06541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2014] [Accepted: 09/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Grain boundaries (GBs) in graphene prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) greatly degrade the electrical and mechanical properties of graphene and thus hinder the applications of graphene in electronic devices. The seamless stitching of graphene flakes can avoid GBs, wherein the identical orientation of graphene domain is required. In this letter, the graphene orientation on one of the most used catalyst surface — Cu(100) surface, is explored by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our calculation demonstrates that a zigzag edged hexagonal graphene domain on a Cu(100) surface has two equivalent energetically preferred orientations, which are 30 degree away from each other. Therefore, the fusion of graphene domains on Cu(100) surface during CVD growth will inevitably lead to densely distributed GBs in the synthesized graphene. Aiming to solve this problem, a simple route, that applies external strain to break the symmetry of the Cu(100) surface, was proposed and proved efficient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghong Yuan
- 1] Department of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China [2] Key laboratory of Computational Physical Sciences (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Guangyao Song
- Department of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Deyan Sun
- Department of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Feng Ding
- Institute of Textiles and Clothing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, Peoples Republic of China
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31
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Yuan Q, Yakobson BI, Ding F. Edge-Catalyst Wetting and Orientation Control of Graphene Growth by Chemical Vapor Deposition Growth. J Phys Chem Lett 2014; 5:3093-3099. [PMID: 26276318 DOI: 10.1021/jz5015899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Three key positions of graphene on a catalyst surface can be identified based on precise computations, namely as sunk (S), step-attached (SA), and on-terrace (OT). Surprisingly, the preferred modes are not all alike but vary from metal to metal, depending on the energies of graphene-edge "wetting" by the catalyst: on a catalyst surface of soft metal like Au(111), Cu(111) or Pd(111), the graphene tends to grow in step-attached or embedded mode, while on a rigid catalyst surface such as Pt(111), Ni(111), Rh(111), Ir(111), or Ru(0001), graphene prefers growing as step-attached or on-terrace. Accordingly, as further energy analysis shows, the graphene formed via the S and SA modes should have orientations fixed relative to the metal crystal lattice, thus prescribing epitaxial growth of graphene on Au(111), Cu(111) and Pd(111). This conclusion indeed correlates well with numerous experimental data, also solving some puzzles observed, and suggesting better ways for growing larger-area single-crystalline graphene by making proper catalyst selections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghong Yuan
- †Institute of Textiles and Clothing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong 8523, People's Republic of China
- ‡Department of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, People's Republic of China
| | | | - Feng Ding
- †Institute of Textiles and Clothing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong 8523, People's Republic of China
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Wu P, Zhang W, Li Z, Yang J. Mechanisms of graphene growth on metal surfaces: theoretical perspectives. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2014; 10:2136-2150. [PMID: 24687872 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201303680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2013] [Revised: 02/26/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Graphene is an important material with unique electronic properties. Aiming to obtain high quality samples at a large scale, graphene growth on metal surfaces has been widely studied. An important topic in these studies is the atomic scale growth mechanism, which is the precondition for a rational optimization of growth conditions. Theoretical studies have provided useful insights for understanding graphene growth mechanisms, which are reviewed in this article. On the mostly used Cu substrate, graphene growth is found to be more complicated than a simple adsorption-dehydrogenation-growth model. Growth on Ni surface is precipitation dominated. On surfaces with a large lattice mismatch to graphene, epitaxial geometry determin a robust nonlinear growth behavior. Further progresses in understanding graphene growth mechanisms is expected with intense theoretical studies using advanced simulation techniques, which will make a guided design of growth protocols practical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Wu
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and Synergetic Innovation Center of Quantum Information and Quantum Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, 230026, China
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33
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Zhang X, Wang L, Xin J, Yakobson BI, Ding F. Role of Hydrogen in Graphene Chemical Vapor Deposition Growth on a Copper Surface. J Am Chem Soc 2014; 136:3040-7. [DOI: 10.1021/ja405499x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiuyun Zhang
- Institute
of Textile and Clothing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong
Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lu Wang
- Institute
of Textile and Clothing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong
Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - John Xin
- Institute
of Textile and Clothing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong
Kong, People’s Republic of China
| | - Boris I. Yakobson
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Department of Chemistry,
and Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Feng Ding
- Institute
of Textile and Clothing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong
Kong, People’s Republic of China
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Department of Chemistry,
and Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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34
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Shu H, Chen X, Ding F. The edge termination controlled kinetics in graphene chemical vapor deposition growth. Chem Sci 2014. [DOI: 10.1039/c4sc02223h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The kinetics of graphene CVD growth is dominated by the type of edge passivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibo Shu
- National Laboratory for Infrared Physics
- Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics
- Chinese Academy of Science
- 200083 Shanghai, China
- Institute of Textiles and Clothing
| | - Xiaoshuang Chen
- Institute of Textiles and Clothing
- Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Hong Kong, China
| | - Feng Ding
- National Laboratory for Infrared Physics
- Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics
- Chinese Academy of Science
- 200083 Shanghai, China
- Institute of Textiles and Clothing
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Li Y, Li M, Wang T, Bai F, Yu YX. DFT study on the atomic-scale nucleation path of graphene growth on the Cu(111) surface. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2014; 16:5213-20. [DOI: 10.1039/c3cp54275k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Dong G, Frenken JWM. Kinetics of graphene formation on Rh(111) investigated by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy. ACS NANO 2013; 7:7028-7033. [PMID: 23829447 DOI: 10.1021/nn402229t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
In situ scanning tunneling microscopy observations of graphene formation on Rh(111) show that the moiré pattern between the lattices of the overlayer and substrate has a decisive influence on the growth. The process is modulated in the large unit cells of the moiré pattern. We distinguish two steps: the addition of a unit cell that introduces one or more new kinks and the addition of further unit cells that merely advance the position of an existing kink. Kink creation is the rate-limiting step, with kink creation at small-angle, concave corners in the graphene overlayer exhibiting the lower barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guocai Dong
- Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, Leiden University, PO Box 9504, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
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Wang Q, Wei L, Sullivan M, Yang SW, Chen Y. Graphene layers on Cu and Ni (111) surfaces in layer controlled graphene growth. RSC Adv 2013. [DOI: 10.1039/c2ra23105k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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Mehdipour H, Ostrikov KK. Kinetics of low-pressure, low-temperature graphene growth: toward single-layer, single-crystalline structure. ACS NANO 2012; 6:10276-10286. [PMID: 23083303 DOI: 10.1021/nn3041446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Graphene grown on metal catalysts with low carbon solubility is a highly competitive alternative to exfoliated and other forms of graphene, yet a single-layer, single-crystal structure remains a challenge because of the large number of randomly oriented nuclei that form grain boundaries when stitched together. A kinetic model of graphene nucleation and growth is developed to elucidate the effective controls of the graphene island density and surface coverage from the onset of nucleation to the full monolayer formation in low-pressure, low-temperature CVD. The model unprecedentedly involves the complete cycle of the elementary gas-phase and surface processes and shows a precise quantitative agreement with the recent low-energy electron diffraction measurements and also explains numerous parameter trends from a host of experimental reports. These agreements are demonstrated for a broad pressure range as well as different combinations of precursor gases and supporting catalysts. The critical role of hydrogen in controlling the graphene nucleation and monolayer formation is revealed and quantified. The model is generic and can be extended to even broader ranges of catalysts and precursor gases/pressures to enable the as yet elusive effective control of the crystalline structure and number of layers of graphene using the minimum amounts of matter and energy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid Mehdipour
- CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering, Plasma Nanoscience Centre Australia (PNCA), P.O. Box 218, Lindfield, New South Wales 2070, Australia
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Gao J, Zhao J. Initial geometries, interaction mechanism and high stability of silicene on Ag(111) surface. Sci Rep 2012; 2:861. [PMID: 23155482 PMCID: PMC3498736 DOI: 10.1038/srep00861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2012] [Accepted: 10/09/2012] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Using ab initio methods, we have investigated the structures and stabilities of SiN clusters (N ≤ 24) on Ag(111) surface as the initial stage of silicene growth. Unlike the dome-shaped graphene clusters, Si clusters prefer nearly flat structures with low buckling, more stable than directly deposition of the 3D freestanding Si clusters on Ag surface. The p-d hybridization between Ag and Si is revealed as well as sp2 characteristics in SiN@Ag(111). Three types of silicene superstructures on Ag(111) surface have been considered and the simulated STM images are compared with experimental observations. Molecular dynamic simulations show high thermal stability of silicene on Ag(111) surfaces, contrast to that on Rh(111). The present theoretical results constitute a comprehensive picture about the interaction mechanism of silicene on Ag(111) surface and explain the superiority of Ag substrate for silicene growth, which would be helpful for improving the experimentally epitaxial growth of silicene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Gao
- Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams (Dalian University of Technology), Ministry of Education, Dalian 116024, China
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