(738g) Controlling the Chemistry of Graphene

Graphene has attracted a wealth of technological interest due to its unique structural and electronic properties.  Given its pure two dimensional nature, adsorbates have a strong impact on these properties and so chemical modification provides the opportunity to control the characteristics of graphene.  Control over the spatial distribution of chemical moieties provides an even greater functionality in that the properties can be manipulated locally, offering a range of opportunities for subsequent surface procedures focused on band gap engineering, device fabrication, and sensor applications.

Global and spatially-controlled chemical functionalization of graphene using electron beam generated plasmas to produce well-controlled patterned chemistries and chemical gradients on the surface of graphene will be demonstrated.  The resulting chemical, structural, and electrical properties of the functionalized graphene as they originate from oxygen, fluorine, and nitrogen functionalities will be shown. Finally, the utility of these surfaces in device and sensing applications will be discussed.   

This work is supported by the Naval Research Laboratory Base Program.