Chemically homogeneous and thermally reversible oxidation of epitaxial graphene

With its exceptional charge mobility, graphene holds great promise for applications in next-generation electronics. In an effort to tailor its properties and interfacial characteristics, the chemical functionalization of graphene is being actively pursued. The oxidation of graphene via the Hummers m...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature chemistry 2012-02, Vol.4 (4), p.305-309
Main Authors: Hossain, Md Zakir, Johns, James E, Bevan, Kirk H, Karmel, Hunter J, Liang, Yu Teng, Yoshimoto, Shinya, Mukai, Kozo, Koitaya, Tatanori, Yoshinobu, Jun, Kawai, Maki, Lear, Amanda M, Kesmodel, Larry L, Tait, Steven L, Hersam, Mark C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Catalysis
Chemistry
Electrons
FUNCTIONALS
Graphene
Graphite - chemistry
INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
Materials science
MICROSCOPY
Microscopy, Scanning Tunneling
OXIDATION
Oxidation-Reduction
OXIDES
OXYGEN
Oxygen - chemistry
Temperature
Vacuum
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:With its exceptional charge mobility, graphene holds great promise for applications in next-generation electronics. In an effort to tailor its properties and interfacial characteristics, the chemical functionalization of graphene is being actively pursued. The oxidation of graphene via the Hummers method is most widely used in current studies, although the chemical inhomogeneity and irreversibility of the resulting graphene oxide compromises its use in high-performance devices. Here, we present an alternative approach for oxidizing epitaxial graphene using atomic oxygen in ultrahigh vacuum. Atomic-resolution characterization with scanning tunnelling microscopy is quantitatively compared to density functional theory, showing that ultrahigh-vacuum oxidization results in uniform epoxy functionalization. Furthermore, this oxidation is shown to be fully reversible at temperatures as low as 260 °C using scanning tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopic techniques. In this manner, ultrahigh-vacuum oxidation overcomes the limitations of Hummers-method graphene oxide, thus creating new opportunities for the study and application of chemically functionalized graphene.
ISSN:1755-4330
1755-4349
DOI:10.1038/nchem.1269