Graphene as a Mechanically Active, Deformable Two-Dimensional Surfactant

Abstract

In crystal growth, surfactants are additive molecules used in dilute amount or as dense, permeable layers to control surface morphologies. Here, we investigate the properties of a strikingly different surfactant: a two-dimensional and covalent layer with close atomic packing, graphene. Using in situ, real time electron microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, and continuum mechanics calculations, we reveal why metallic atomic layers can grow in a two-dimensional manner below an impermeable graphene membrane. Upon metal growth, graphene dynamically opens nanochannels called wrinkles, facilitating mass transport, while at the same time storing and releasing elastic energy via lattice distortions. Graphene thus behaves as a mechanically active, deformable surfactant. The wrinkle-driven mass transport of the metallic layer intercalated between graphene and the substrate is observed for two graphene-based systems, characterized by different physico-chemical interactions, between graphene and the substrate, and between the intercalated material and graphene. The deformable surfactant character of graphene that we unveil should then apply to a broad variety of species, opening new avenues for using graphene as a two-dimensional surfactant forcing the growth of flat films, nanostructures and unconventional crystalline phases.

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Cited by in corpus (8)

• Thermally Activated Processes for Ferromagnet Intercalation in Graphene-Heavy Metal Interfaces
• How to induce superconductivity in epitaxial graphene $via$ remote proximity effect through an intercalated gold layer
• Magnetic response and electronic states of well defined Graphene/Fe/Ir(111) heterostructure
• Depressions by stacking faults in nanorippled graphene on metals
• Confined step-flow growth of Cu intercalated between graphene and a Ru(0001) surface
• Graphene Layer Morphology as an Indicator of the Metals Alloy Formation at the Interface
• Defect-Mediated Phase Engineering of 2D Ag at the Graphene/SiC Interface
• Epitaxial two-dimensional membranes under intrinsic and extrinsic strains