Epitaxial Metal Electrodeposition Controlled by Graphene Layer Thickness

Salem C. Wright, Courtney Brea, Jefferey S. Baxter, Sonakshi Saini, Elif Pınar Alsaç, Sun Geun Yoon, Matthew G. Boebinger, Guoxiang Hu, Matthew T. McDowell

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Control over material structure and morphology during electrodeposition is necessary for material synthesis and energy applications. One approach to guide crystallite formation is to take advantage of epitaxy on a current collector to facilitate crystallographic control. Single-layer graphene on metal foils can promote “remote epitaxy” during Cu and Zn electrodeposition, resulting in growth of metal that is crystallographically aligned to the substrate beneath graphene. However, the substrate-graphene-deposit interactions that allow for epitaxial electrodeposition are not well understood. Here, we investigate how different graphene layer thicknesses (monolayer, bilayer, trilayer, and graphite) influence the electrodeposition of Zn and Cu. Scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction are leveraged to understand metal morphology and structure, demonstrating that remote epitaxy occurs on mono- and bilayer graphene but not trilayer or thicker. Density functional theory (DFT) simulations reveal the spatial electronic interactions through thin graphene that promote remote epitaxy. This work advances our understanding of electrochemical remote epitaxy and provides strategies for improving control over electrodeposition.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)13866-13875
Number of pages10
JournalACS Nano
Volume18
Issue number21
DOIs
StatePublished - May 28 2024

Keywords

  • EBSD
  • electrochemistry
  • electrodeposition
  • epitaxy
  • graphene
  • two-dimensional materials

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