Direct Observation of a Long-Lived Single-Atom Catalyst Chiseling Atomic Structures in Graphene

Citation:

Wang WL, Santos EJG, Jiang B, Cubuk ED, Ophus C, Centeno A, Pesquera A, Zurutuza A, Ciston J, Westervelt R, et al. Direct Observation of a Long-Lived Single-Atom Catalyst Chiseling Atomic Structures in Graphene. NanoLetters. 2014;14 :450-455.
2014_nanolett_14_450.pdf1.73 MB

Abstract:

Fabricating stable functional devices at the atomic scale is an ultimate goal of nanotechnology. In biological processes, such high-precision operations are accomplished by enzymes. A counterpart molecular catalyst that binds to a solid-state substrate would be highly desirable. Here, we report the direct observation of single Si adatoms catalyzing the dissociation of carbon atoms from graphene in an aberrationcorrected high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The single Si atom provides a catalytic wedge for energetic electrons to chisel off the graphene lattice, atom by atom, while the Si atom itself is not consumed. The products of the chiseling process are atomic-scale features including graphene pores and clean edges. Our experimental observations and first-principles calculations demonstrated the dynamics, stability, and selectivity of such a single-atom chisel, which opens up the possibility of fabricating certain stable molecular devices by precise modification of materials at the atomic scale.

Last updated on 09/10/2015