Bottom-up fabrication of graphene on Ru(0001) via molecular self-assembly. (2nd July 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cai, Yiliang; Zhang, Hanjie; Song, Junjie; Zhang, Yuxi; Rehman, A U; He, Pimo
• Is Part Of: Nanotechnology. Volume 26:Number 29(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-07-02
• Subjects: epitaxial graphene -- molecular self-assembly -- scanning tunneling microscopy -- density functional theory; 68.37.Ef -- 31.15.A- -- 68.43.Bc; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology; Publications périodiques; Nanotechnologies; Periodicals; 620.5
• DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/26/29/295601
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0957-4484

Abstract

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.