Hybrid Low-Dimensional Carbon Allotropes Formed in Gas Phase

Saeed Ahmad, Kimmo Mustonen, Ben McLean, Hua Jiang, Qiang Zhang*, Aqeel Hussain, Abu Taher Khan, Er Xiong Ding, Yongping Liao, Nan Wei, Mohammad R.A. Monazam, Albert G. Nasibulin, Jani Kotakoski, Alister J. Page, Esko I. Kauppinen

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)
37 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Graphene, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and fullerenes are the basic set of low-dimensional carbon allotropes. The latter two arise from the former by selective removal and addition of carbon atoms. Nevertheless, given their morphological disparities, the production of each is typically devised from entirely different starting points. Here, it is demonstrated that all three allotropes can nucleate from (pseudo-)spherical, nanometer-sized transition metal clusters in a gas-suspension when the chemical conditions are favorable. The experimental results indicate that graphitic carbon embryos nucleate on the catalyst particles and sometimes transform into 2D graphene flakes through chain polymerization of carbon fragments forming in the surround gas atmosphere. It is further shown that hydrogenation reactions play an essential role by stabilizing the emerging flakes by mitigating the pentagon and heptagon defects that lead into evolution of fulleroids. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations show that the ratio of hydrogen to carbon in the reaction is a key growth parameter. Since structural formation takes place in a gas-suspension, graphene accompanied by fullerenes and single-walled CNTs can be deposited on any surface at ambient temperature with arbitrary layer thicknesses. This provides a direct route for the production and deposition of graphene-based hybrid thin films for various applications.

Original languageEnglish
Article number2005016
Number of pages11
JournalAdvanced Functional Materials
Volume30
Issue number45
Early online date13 Sep 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 Nov 2020
MoE publication typeA1 Journal article-refereed

Keywords

  • dry-deposition
  • floating catalyst CVD
  • graphene growth
  • low-dimensional carbon allotropes

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  • CNTstress/Kauppinen

    Kauppinen, E., Ahmad, S., Zhang, Q., Tavakkoli, M. & Khan, M.

    01/09/201831/08/2022

    Project: Academy of Finland: Other research funding

  • FEDOC / Koskinen

    Koskinen, J., Wester, N., Durairaj, V., Johansson, L. & Etula, J.

    01/06/201631/12/2018

    Project: Business Finland: Other research funding

  • CNT-PV

    Zhang, Q., Kauppinen, E. & Wei, N.

    01/01/201631/12/2017

    Project: Business Finland: Other research funding

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