title: Single-Layer Graphene as a Barrier Layer for Intense UV Laser-Induced Damages for Silver Nanowire Network.
abstract: Single-layer graphene (SLG) has been proposed as the thinnest protective/barrier layer for wide applications involving resistance to oxidation, corrosion, atomic/molecular diffusion, electromagnetic interference, and bacterial contamination. Functional metallic nanostructures have lower thermal stability than their bulk forms and are therefore susceptible to high energy photons. Here, we demonstrate that SLG can shield metallic nanostructures from intense laser radiation that would otherwise ablate them. By irradiation via a UV laser beam with nanosecond pulse width and a range of laser intensities (in millions of watt per cm(2)) onto a silver nanowire network, and conformally wrapping SLG on top of the nanowire network, we demonstrate that graphene "extracts and spreads" most of the thermal energy away from nanowire, thereby keeping it damage-free. Without graphene wrapping, the radiation would fragment the wires into smaller pieces and even decompose them into droplets. A systematic molecular dynamics simulation confirms the mechanism of SLG shielding. Consequently, particular damage-free and ablation-free laser-based nanomanufacturing of hybrid nanostructures might be sparked off by application of SLG on functional surfaces and nanofeatures.
authors.affiliation: School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, ‡Birck Nanotechnology Center, and §School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University , West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States.
authors.forename: Suprem R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Das
authors.affiliation: School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, ‡Birck Nanotechnology Center, and §School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University , West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States.
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Nian
authors.affiliation: School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, ‡Birck Nanotechnology Center, and §School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University , West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States.
authors.forename: Mojib
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saei
authors.affiliation: School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, ‡Birck Nanotechnology Center, and §School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University , West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States.
authors.forename: Shengyu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, ‡Birck Nanotechnology Center, and §School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University , West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States.
authors.forename: Doosan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Back
authors.affiliation: School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, ‡Birck Nanotechnology Center, and §School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University , West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States.
authors.forename: Prashant
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, ‡Birck Nanotechnology Center, and §School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University , West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States.
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Janes
authors.affiliation: School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, ‡Birck Nanotechnology Center, and §School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University , West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States.
authors.forename: Muhammad A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Alam
authors.affiliation: School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, ‡Birck Nanotechnology Center, and §School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University , West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States.
authors.forename: Gary J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Cheng
keywords: Raleigh instability; hybrid nanowire graphene network; pulsed laser annealing; silver nanowire network; thermal barrier