TY - JOUR
T1 - Controlling edge morphology in graphene layers using electron irradiation
T2 - From sharp atomic edges to coalesced layers forming loops
AU - Cruz-Silva, E.
AU - Botello-Méndez, A. R.
AU - Barnett, Z. M.
AU - Jia, X.
AU - Dresselhaus, M. S.
AU - Terrones, H.
AU - Terrones, M.
AU - Sumpter, B. G.
AU - Meunier, V.
PY - 2010/7/22
Y1 - 2010/7/22
N2 - Recent experimental reports indicate that Joule heating can atomically sharpen the edges of chemical vapor deposition grown graphitic nanoribbons. The absence or presence of loops between adjacent layers in the annealed materials is the topic of a growing debate that this Letter aims to put to rest. We offer a rationale explaining why loops do form if Joule heating is used alone, and why adjacent nanoribbon layers do not coalesce when Joule heating is applied after high-energy electrons first irradiate the sample. Our work, based on large-scale quantum molecular dynamics and electronic-transport calculations, shows that vacancies on adjacent graphene sheets, created by electron irradiation, inhibit the formation of edge loops.
AB - Recent experimental reports indicate that Joule heating can atomically sharpen the edges of chemical vapor deposition grown graphitic nanoribbons. The absence or presence of loops between adjacent layers in the annealed materials is the topic of a growing debate that this Letter aims to put to rest. We offer a rationale explaining why loops do form if Joule heating is used alone, and why adjacent nanoribbon layers do not coalesce when Joule heating is applied after high-energy electrons first irradiate the sample. Our work, based on large-scale quantum molecular dynamics and electronic-transport calculations, shows that vacancies on adjacent graphene sheets, created by electron irradiation, inhibit the formation of edge loops.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77954904817&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.045501
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.045501
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77954904817
SN - 0031-9007
VL - 105
JO - Physical Review Letters
JF - Physical Review Letters
IS - 4
M1 - 045501
ER -