title: Graphene-templated directional growth of an inorganic nanowire.
abstract: Assembling inorganic nanomaterials on graphene is of interest in the development of nanodevices and nanocomposite materials, and the ability to align such inorganic nanomaterials on the graphene surface is expected to lead to improved functionalities, as has previously been demonstrated with organic nanomaterials epitaxially aligned on graphitic surfaces. However, because graphene is chemically inert, it is difficult to precisely assemble inorganic nanomaterials on pristine graphene. Previous techniques based on dangling bonds of damaged graphene, intermediate seed materials and vapour-phase deposition at high temperature(,) have only formed randomly oriented or poorly aligned inorganic nanostructures. Here, we show that inorganic nanowires of gold(I) cyanide can grow directly on pristine graphene, aligning themselves with the zigzag lattice directions of the graphene. The nanowires are synthesized through a self-organized growth process in aqueous solution at room temperature, which indicates that the inorganic material spontaneously binds to the pristine graphene surface. First-principles calculations suggest that this assembly originates from lattice matching and π interaction to gold atoms. Using the synthesized nanowires as templates, we also fabricate nanostructures with controlled crystal orientations such as graphene nanoribbons with zigzag-edged directions.
authors: 1] Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan [2] ERATO Takeuchi Biohybrid Innovation Project, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan.
authors: Won Chul
authors: WC
authors: Lee
authors: 1] Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA [2] Department of Physics, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 689-798, South Korea.
authors: Kwanpyo
authors: K
authors: Kim
authors: 1] School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA [2] Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
authors: Jungwon
authors: J
authors: Park
authors: Department of Physics, Konkuk University, Seoul 143-701, South Korea.
authors: Jahyun
authors: J
authors: Koo
authors: UNIST Central Research Facilities (UCRF), Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Ulsan 689-798, South Korea.
authors: Hu Young
authors: HY
authors: Jeong
authors: Department of Physics, Konkuk University, Seoul 143-701, South Korea.
authors: Hoonkyung
authors: H
authors: Lee
authors: 1] School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA [2] Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA.
authors: David A
authors: DA
authors: Weitz
authors: 1] Department of Physics, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA [2] Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
authors: Alex
authors: A
authors: Zettl
authors: 1] Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 153-8505, Japan [2] ERATO Takeuchi Biohybrid Innovation Project, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan.
authors: Shoji
authors: S
authors: Takeuchi