| 1. |
- Hartl, Tobias, et al.
(author)
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Carbon Embedding of Pt Cluster Superlattices Templated by Hexagonal Boron Nitride on Ir(111)
- 2021
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In: Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 125:42, s. 23435-23444
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- With the goal to delevop the fabrication of a new type of Pt-nanoparticle carbon-support electrocatalyst, we investigate the carbon embedding of Pt cluster superlattices grown on the moiré of a monolayer of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) on Ir(111). Our combined scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study establishes conformal C embedding of the Pt clusters on h-BN/Ir(111) without deterioration of superlattice order, preferential and strong binding of the embedding carbon to the Pt clusters, and upon annealing the formation of a homogeneous amorphous carbon (a-C) matrix. There are indications that while the a-C matrix and the Pt clusters bind strongly to each other, upon annealing both weaken their binding to h-BN.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Herbig, Charlotte, et al.
(author)
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From Permeation to Cluster Arrays : Graphene on Ir(111) Exposed to Carbon Vapor
- 2017
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In: Nano Letters. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1530-6984 .- 1530-6992. ; 17:5, s. 3105-3112
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Our scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy experiments along with first-principles calculations uncover the rich phenomenology and enable a coherent understanding of carbon vapor interaction with graphene on Ir(111). At high temperatures, carbon vapor not only permeates to the metal surface but also densifies the graphene cover. Thereby, in addition to underlayer graphene growth, upon cool down also severe wrinkling of the densified graphene cover is observed. In contrast, at low temperatures the adsorbed carbon largely remains on top and self-organizes into a regular array of fullerene-like, thermally highly stable clusters that are covalently bonded to the underlying graphene sheet. Thus, a new type of predominantly sp2-hybridized nanostructured and ultrathin carbon material emerges, which may be useful to encage or stably bind metal in finely dispersed form.
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| 4. |
- Herbig, Charlotte, et al.
(author)
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Xe irradiation of graphene on Ir(111): From trapping to blistering
- 2015
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In: Physical Review B (Condensed Matter and Materials Physics). - 1098-0121. ; 92:8
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermal desorption spectroscopy, and scanning tunneling microscopy, we show that upon keV Xe+ irradiation of graphene on Ir(111), Xe atoms are trapped under the graphene. Upon annealing, aggregation of Xe leads to graphene bulges and blisters. The efficient trapping is an unexpected and remarkable phenomenon given the absence of chemical binding of Xe to Ir and to graphene, the weak interaction of a perfect graphene layer with Ir(111), as well as the substantial damage to graphene due to irradiation. By combining molecular dynamics simulations and density functional theory calculations with our experiments, we uncover the mechanism of trapping. We describe ways to avoid blister formation during graphene growth, and also demonstrate how ion implantation can be used to intentionally create blisters without introducing damage to the graphene layer. Our approach may provide a pathway to synthesize new materials at a substrate-2D material interface or to enable confined reactions at high pressures and temperatures.
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| 5. |
- Martínez-Galera, Antonio J, et al.
(author)
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Preventing sintering of nanoclusters on graphene by radical adsorption
- 2017
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In: Nanoscale. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2040-3364 .- 2040-3372. ; 9:36, s. 13618-13629
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Metal nanoclusters, supported on inert substrates, exhibiting well-defined shapes and sizes in a broad range of temperatures are a major object of desire in nanotechnology. Here, a technique is presented that improves the thermal stability of monodisperse and crystalline transition metal nanoclusters grown in a regular array on metal-supported graphene. To stabilize the clusters after growth under ultrahigh vacuum the system composed of the aggregates and the graphene/metal interface is exposed to radicals resulting from the dissociation of diatomic gases. As a model system we have used Pt as the metal element for cluster growth and the template consisting of the moiré pattern resulting from the lattice mismatch between graphene and the Ir(111) surface. The study has been performed for deuterium and oxygen radicals, which interact very differently with graphene. Our results reveal that after radical exposure the thermally activated motion of Pt nanoclusters to adjacent moiré cells and the subsequent sintering of neighbor aggregates are avoided, most pronounced for the case of atomic O. For the case of D the limits of the improvement are given by radical desorption, whereas for the case of O they are defined by an interplay between coalescence and graphene etching followed by Pt intercalation, which can be controlled by the amount of exposure. Finally, we determined the mechanism of how radical adsorption improves the thermal stability of the aggregates.
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| 6. |
- Schröder, Ulrike A, et al.
(author)
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Core level shifts of intercalated graphene
- 2017
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In: 2D Materials. - : IOP Publishing. - 2053-1583. ; 4:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Through intercalation of metals and gases the Dirac cone of graphene on Ir(111) can be shifted with respect to the Fermi level without becoming destroyed by strong hybridization. Here, we use x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to measure the C 1s core level shift (CLS) of graphene in contact with a number of structurally well-defined intercalation layers (O, H, Eu, and Cs). By analysis of our own and additional literature data for decoupled graphene, the C 1s CLS is found to be a non-monotonic function of the doping level. For small doping levels the shifts are well described by a rigid band model. However, at larger doping levels, a second effect comes into play which is proportional to the transferred charge and counteracts the rigid band shift. Moreover, not only the position, but also the C 1s peak shape displays a unique evolution as a function of doping level. Our conclusions are supported by intercalation experiments with Li, with which, due to the absence of phase separation, the doping level of graphene can be continuously tuned.
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| 7. |
- Valerius, Philipp, et al.
(author)
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Annealing of ion-irradiated hexagonal boron nitride on Ir(111)
- 2017
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In: Physical Review B. - 2469-9950. ; 96:23
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Annealing of a monolayer of hexagonal boron nitride destroyed by Xe ion irradiation gives rise to rich structural phenomena investigated here through a combination of scanning tunneling microscopy, low-energy electron diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations. We find selective pinning of vacancy clusters at a single specific location within the moiré formed by hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and the Ir substrate, crystalline Xe at room temperature of monolayer and bilayer thickness sealed inside h-BN blisters, standalone blisters only bound to the metal at temperatures where boron nitride on Ir(111) decomposes, and finally a pronounced threefold symmetry of all morphological features due to the preferential formation of boron-terminated zigzag edges that firmly bind to the substrate. The investigations give clear insight into the relevance of the substrate for the damage creation and annealing in a two-dimensional layer material.
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