title: Bottom-up fabrication of graphene on Ru(0001) via molecular self-assembly.
abstract: A bottom-up fabrication of graphene via molecular self-assembly of p-Terphenyl on Ru(0001) has been investigated by scanning tunneling microcopy and density functional theory. Upon annealing of the sample at 450 °C, the intermediate stage is observed, in which the adsorbed p-Terphenyl molecules and graphitized flakes converted from the molecules coexist, implying the onset of dehydrogenation of p-Terphenyl. At the annealing temperature of 480 °C, the graphitized flakes start to convert into graphene. An adsoption energy of 5.99 eV is calculated for an individual p-Terphenyl molecule on Ru(0001), denoting a strong interaction between the adsorbate and substrate. The intermolecular interaction brings an extra adsorption energy of 0.28 eV for each molecule in the di-molecule adsorption system. During the conversion process from adsorbed molecule into graphene, the intermolecular interaction leads to the increase of the dehydrogenation barrier from 1.52 to 1.64 eV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People's Republic of China. Collaborative Innovation Centre of Advanced Microstructure, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yiliang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Hanjie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Junjie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Yuxi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: A U
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Rehman
authors.forename: Pimo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: He