title: Single adatom dynamics at monatomic steps of free-standing few-layer reduced graphene.
abstract: Steps and their associated adatoms extensively exist and play prominent roles in affecting surface properties of materials. Such impacts should be especially pronounced in two-dimensional, atomically-thin membranes like graphene. However, how single adatom behaves at monatomic steps of few-layer graphene is still illusive. Here, we report dynamics of individual adatom at monatomic steps of free-standing few-layer reduced graphene under the electron beam radiations, and demonstrate the prevalent existence of monatomic steps even down to unexpectedly ultrasmall lateral size of a circular diameter of ~5 Å. Single adatom prefers to stay at the edges of the atomic steps of few-layer reduced graphene and evolve with the steps. Moreover, we also find that how the single adatom behaves at atomic step edges can be remarkably influenced by the type of adatoms and step edges. Such single adatoms at monatomic steps and ultrasmall atomic steps open up a new window for surface physics and chemistry for graphene-based as well as other two-dimensional materials.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Material Processing and Die &Mold Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan 430074, China.
authors.forename: Haixin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: WPI-Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan.
authors.forename: Takuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.affiliation: New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku University, Aobaku, Sendai, 980-8579 Japan.
authors.forename: Yunye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: 1] New Industry Creation Hatchery Center, Tohoku University, Aobaku, Sendai, 980-8579 Japan [2] Kutateladze Institute of Thermophysics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090, Novosibirsk, Russia.
authors.forename: Yoshiyuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawazoe
authors.affiliation: WPI-Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan.
authors.forename: Zhongchang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: 1] WPI-Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan [2] Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Hongkai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kimoto
authors.affiliation: 1] WPI-Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan [2] Institute of Engineering Innovation, The University of Tokyo, 2-11-16 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikuhara
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