Ultrafast and Reversible Superwettability Switching of 3D Graphene Foams via Solvent-Exclusive Plasma Treatments

For highly active electron transfer and ion diffusion, controlling the surface wettability of electrically and thermally conductive 3D graphene foams (3D GFs) is required. Here, we present ultrasimple and rapid superwettability switching of 3D GFs in a reversible and reproducible manner, mediated by solvent-exclusive microwave arcs. As the 3D GFs are prepared with vapors of nonpolar acetone or polar water exclusively, short microwave radiation (≤10 s) leads to plasma hotspot-mediated production of methyl and hydroxyl radicals, respectively. Upon immediate radical chemisorption, the 3D surfaces become either superhydrophobic (water contact angle = ∼170°) or superhydrophilic (∼0°), and interestingly, the wettability transition can be repeated many times due to the facile exchange between previously chemisorbed and newly introduced radicals via the formation of methanol-like intermediates. When 3D GFs of different surficial polarities are incorporated into electric double-layer capacitors with nonpolar ionic liquids or polar aqueous electrolytes, the polarity matching between graphene surfaces and electrolytes results in ≥548.0 times higher capacitance compared to its mismatching at ≥0.5 A g-1, demonstrating the significance of wettability-controlled 3D GFs.

Localised strain and doping of 2D materials

There is a growing interest in 2D materials-based devices as the replacement for established materials, such as silicon and metal oxides in microelectronics and sensing, respectively. However, the atomically thin nature of 2D materials makes them susceptible to slight variations caused by their immediate environment, inducing doping and strain, which can vary between, and even microscopically within, devices. One of the misapprehensions for using 2D materials is the consideration of unanimous intrinsic properties over different support surfaces. The interfacial interaction, intrinsic structural disorder and external strain modulate the properties of 2D materials and govern the device performance. The understanding, measurement and control of these factors are thus one of the significant challenges for the adoption of 2D materials in industrial electronics, sensing, and polymer composites. This topical review provides a comprehensive overview of the effect of strain-induced lattice deformation and its relationship with physical and electronic properties. Using the example of graphene and MoS₂ (as the prototypical 2D semiconductor), we rationalise the importance of scanning probe techniques and Raman spectroscopy to elucidate strain and doping in 2D materials. These effects can be directly and accurately characterised through Raman shifts in a non-destructive manner. A generalised model has been presented that deconvolutes the intertwined relationship between strain and doping in graphene and MoS₂ that could apply to other members of the 2D materials family. The emerging field of straintronics is presented, where the controlled application of strain over 2D materials induces tuneable physical and electronic properties. These perspectives highlight practical considerations for strain engineering and related microelectromechanical applications.

Grafting Ink for Direct Writing: Solvation Activated Covalent Functionalization of Graphene

Covalent functionalization of graphene (CFG) has shown attractive advantages in tuning the electronic, mechanical, optical, and thermal properties of graphene. However, facile, large-scale, controllable, and highly efficient CFG remains challenging and often involves highly reactive and volatile compounds, requiring complex control of the reaction conditions. Here, a diazonium-based grafting ink consisting of only two components, i.e., an aryl diazonium salt and the solvent dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is presented. The efficient functionalization is attributed to the combination of the solvation of the diazonium cations by DMSO and n-doping of graphene by DMSO, thereby promoting electron transfer (ET) from graphene to the diazonium cations, resulting in the generation of aryl radicals which subsequently react with the graphene. The grafting density of CFG is controlled by the reaction time and very high levels of functionalization, up to the failing of the Tuinstra-Koenig (T-K) relation, while the functionalization layer remains at monolayer height. The grafting ink, effective for days at room temperature, can be used at ambient conditions and renders the patterning CFG by direct writing as easy as writing on paper. In combination with thermal sample treatment, reversible functionalization is possible by subsequent writing/erasing cycles.

Application of Molecular Vapour Deposited Al2O3 for Graphene-Based Biosensor Passivation and Improvements in Graphene Device Homogeneity

Graphene-based point-of-care (PoC) and chemical sensors can be fabricated using photolithographic processes at wafer-scale. However, these approaches are known to leave polymer residues on the graphene surface, which are difficult to remove completely. In addition, graphene growth and transfer processes can introduce defects into the graphene layer. Both defects and resist contamination can affect the homogeneity of graphene-based PoC sensors, leading to inconsistent device performance and unreliable sensing. Sensor reliability is also affected by the harsh chemical environments used for chemical functionalisation of graphene PoC sensors, which can degrade parts of the sensor device. Therefore, a reliable, wafer-scale method of passivation, which isolates the graphene from the rest of the device, protecting the less robust device features from any aggressive chemicals, must be devised. This work covers the application of molecular vapour deposition technology to create a dielectric passivation film that protects graphene-based biosensing devices from harsh chemicals. We utilise a previously reported "healing effect" of Al2O3 on graphene to reduce photoresist residue from the graphene surface and reduce the prevalence of graphene defects to improve graphene device homogeneity. The improvement in device consistency allows for more reliable, homogeneous graphene devices, that can be fabricated at wafer-scale for sensing and biosensing applications.

Direct measurement of strain-driven Kekulé distortion in graphene and its electronic properties

Kekulé distortion in graphene is a subject of extensive theoretical studies due to its non-trivial material properties. Yet, experimental observation of its formation mechanism and electronic structures is still elusive. Here, we used scanning tunneling microscopy to visualize two different phases of the Kekulé distortion in graphene along with experimental evidence that local strain is responsible for the formation of such distortions. In addition, we directly measured the electronic structures of the two phases of the Kekulé distortion in graphene revealing that one opens an energy gap whereas the other maintains a linear density profile. These are consistent with the calculated band structures of the two phases of the Kekulé distortion, respectively, providing a direct verification of the theoretical predictions.

Tunable graphene doping by modulating the nanopore geometry on a SiO2/Si substrate

A tunable graphene doping method utilizing a SiO2/Si substrate with nanopores (NP) was introduced. Laser interference lithography (LIL) using a He-Cd laser (λ = 325 nm) was used to prepare pore size- and pitch-controllable NP SiO2/Si substrates. Then, bottom-contact graphene field effect transistors (G-FETs) were fabricated on the NP SiO2/Si substrate to measure the transfer curves. The graphene transferred onto the NP SiO2/Si substrate showed relatively n-doped behavior compared to the graphene transferred onto a flat SiO2/Si substrate, as evidenced by the blue-shift of the 2D peak position (∼2700 cm-1) in the Raman spectra due to contact doping. As the porosity increased within the substrate, the Dirac voltage shifted to a more positive or negative value, depending on the initial doping type (p- or n-type, respectively) of the contact doping. The Dirac voltage shifts with porosity were ascribed mainly to the compensation for the reduced capacitance owing to the SiO2-air hetero-structured dielectric layer within the periodically aligned nanopores capped by the suspended graphene (electrostatic doping). The hysteresis (Dirac voltage difference during the forward and backward scans) was reduced when utilizing an NP SiO2/Si substrate with smaller pores and/or a low porosity because fewer H2O or O2 molecules could be trapped inside the smaller pores.

Graphene material preparation through thermal treatment of graphite oxide electrochemically synthesized in aqueous sulfuric acid

The present work demonstrates a simple and low-cost method to produce bulk quantities of graphene material through the thermal treatment of graphite oxide (GO).