Direct observation of a long-lived single-atom catalyst chiseling atomic structures in graphene.
Fabricating stable functional devices at the atomic scale is an ultimate goal of nanotechnology. In biological processes, such high-precision operations are accomplished by enzymes. A counterpart molecular catalyst that binds to a solid-state substrate would be highly desirable. Here, we report the direct observation of single Si adatoms catalyzing the dissociation of carbon atoms from graphene in an aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The single Si atom provides a catalytic wedge for energetic electrons to chisel off the graphene lattice, atom by atom, while the Si atom itself is not consumed. The products of the chiseling process are atomic-scale features including graphene pores and clean edges. Our experimental observations and first-principles calculations demonstrated the dynamics, stability, and selectivity of such a single-atom chisel, which opens up the possibility of fabricating certain stable molecular devices by precise modification of materials at the atomic scale.
Department of Physics, Harvard University , Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States.
Wei Li
WL
Wang
Elton J G
EJ
Santos
Bin
B
Jiang
Ekin Dogus
ED
Cubuk
Colin
C
Ophus
Alba
A
Centeno
Amaia
A
Pesquera
Amaia
A
Zurutuza
Jim
J
Ciston
Robert
R
Westervelt
Efthimios
E
Kaxiras
D002384:Catalysis; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D054802:Molecular Imprinting / Q000379:methods*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties
D006108:Graphite; D012825:Silicon