title: Direct observation of atomic dynamics and silicon doping at a topological defect in graphene.
abstract: Chemical decoration of defects is an effective way to functionalize graphene and to study mechanisms of their interaction with environment. We monitored dynamic atomic processes during the formation of a rotary Si trimer in monolayer graphene using an aberration-corrected scanning-transmission electron microscope. An incoming Si atom competed with and replaced a metastable C dimer next to a pair of Si substitutional atoms at a topological defect in graphene, producing a Si trimer. Other atomic events including removal of single C atoms, incorporation and relocation of a C dimer, reversible C-C bond rotation, and vibration of Si atoms occurred before the final formation of the Si trimer. Theoretical calculations indicate that it requires 2.0 eV to rotate the Si trimer. Our real-time results provide insight with atomic precision for reaction dynamics during chemical doping at defects in graphene, which have implications for defect nanoengineering of graphene.
authors: Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Rd, Shenyang 110016 (China). yangzq@imr.ac.cn.
authors: Zhiqing
authors: Z
authors: Yang
authors: Lichang
authors: L
authors: Yin
authors: Jaekwang
authors: J
authors: Lee
authors: Wencai
authors: W
authors: Ren
authors: Hui-Ming
authors: HM
authors: Cheng
authors: Hengqiang
authors: H
authors: Ye
authors: Sokrates T
authors: ST
authors: Pantelides
authors: Stephen J
authors: SJ
authors: Pennycook
authors: Matthew F
authors: MF
authors: Chisholm
keywords: density functional calculations; doping; electron microscopy; graphene; silicon