Atomic intercalation to measure adhesion of graphene on graphite

Jun Wang, Dan C. Sorescu, Seokmin Jeon, Alexei Belianinov, Sergei V. Kalinin, Arthur P. Baddorf and Petro Maksymovych ()
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Jun Wang: Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Dan C. Sorescu: Research & Innovation Center, National Energy Technology Laboratory
Seokmin Jeon: Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Alexei Belianinov: Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Sergei V. Kalinin: Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Arthur P. Baddorf: Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Petro Maksymovych: Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract The interest in mechanical properties of two-dimensional materials has emerged in light of new device concepts taking advantage of flexing, adhesion and friction. Here we demonstrate an effective method to measure adhesion of graphene atop highly ordered pyrolytic graphite, utilizing atomic-scale ‘blisters’ created in the top layer by neon atom intercalates. Detailed analysis of scanning tunnelling microscopy images is used to reconstruct atomic positions and the strain map within the deformed graphene layer, and demonstrate the tip-induced subsurface translation of neon atoms. We invoke an analytical model, originally devised for graphene macroscopic deformations, to determine the graphite adhesion energy of 0.221±0.011 J m−2. This value is in excellent agreement with reported macroscopic values and our atomistic simulations. This implies mechanical properties of graphene scale down to a few-nanometre length. The simplicity of our method provides a unique opportunity to investigate the local variability of nanomechanical properties in layered materials.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13263

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