Subnanometer vacancy defects introduced on graphene by oxygen gas.
The basal plane of graphene has been known to be less reactive than the edges, but some studies observed vacancies in the basal plane after reaction with oxygen gas. Observation of these vacancies has typically been limited to nanometer-scale resolution using microscopic techniques. This work demonstrates the introduction and observation of subnanometer vacancies in the basal plane of graphene by heat treatment in a flow of oxygen gas at low temperature such as 533 K or lower. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy was used to directly observe vacancy structures, which were compared with image simulations. These proposed structures contain C═O, pyran-like ether, and lactone-like groups.
Department of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Chiba University , 1-33 Yayoi, Inage, Chiba 263-8522, Japan.
Yasuhiro
Y
Yamada
Kazumasa
K
Murota
Ryo
R
Fujita
Jungpil
J
Kim
Ayuko
A
Watanabe
Masashi
M
Nakamura
Satoshi
S
Sato
Kenji
K
Hata
Peter
P
Ercius
Jim
J
Ciston
Cheng Yu
CY
Song
Kwanpyo
K
Kim
William
W
Regan
Will
W
Gannett
Alex
A
Zettl