Modifying the chemistry of graphene with substrate selection: A study of gold nanoparticle formation

Journal Article · Mon Mar 23 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4916567· OSTI ID:22398782

Zaniewski, Anna M.; Trimble, Christie J.; Nemanich, Robert J. ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281 (United States)

Graphene and metal nanoparticle composites are a promising class of materials with unique electronic, optical, and chemical properties. In this work, graphene is used as a reducing surface to grow gold nanoparticles out of solution-based metal precursors. The nanoparticle formation is found to strongly depend upon the graphene substrate selection. The studied substrates include diamond, p-type silicon, aluminum oxide, lithium niobate, and copper. Our results indicate that the chemical properties of graphene depend upon this selection. For example, for the same reaction times and concentration, the reduction of gold chloride to gold nanoparticles on graphene/lithium niobate results in 3% nanoparticle coverage compared to 20% coverage on graphene/silicon and 60% on graphene/copper. On insulators, nanoparticles preferentially form on folds and edges. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis is used to confirm the nanoparticle elemental makeup.

• OSTI ID: 22398782
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 106, Issue 12; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CONCENTRATION RATIO
COPPER
DIAMONDS
GOLD
GOLD CHLORIDES
GRAPHENE
LITHIUM COMPOUNDS
NANOCOMPOSITES
NANOPARTICLES
NIOBATES
SILICON
SUBSTRATES
SURFACES
X RADIATION