Binghamton University researchers have demonstrated an eco-friendly process that can provide unprecedented spatial control over the electrical properties of graphene oxide. This two-dimensional nanomaterial has the potential to revolutionize flexible electronics, solar cells and biomedical instruments.
By using the probe of an atomic force microscope to trigger a local chemical reaction, Jeffrey Mativetsky, assistant professor of physics at Binghamton University, and PhD student Austin Faucett showed that electrically conductive features as small as 4nm can be patterned onto individual graphene oxide sheets.
"Our approach makes it possible to draw nanoscale electrically-conductive features in atomically-thin insulating sheets with the highest spatial control reported so far."Jeffrey Mativetsky, Binghamton University
"Our approach makes it possible to draw nanoscale electrically-conductive features in atomically-thin insulating sheets with the highest spatial control reported so far," said Mativetsky. "Unlike standard methods for manipulating the properties of graphene oxide, our process can be implemented under ambient conditions and is environmentally-benign, making it a promising step towards the practical integration of graphene oxide into future technologies."
The 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for the discovery of graphene, an atomically-thin, two-dimensional carbon lattice with extraordinary electrical, thermal and mechanical properties. Graphene oxide is the oxidized version and has certain advantages over pristine graphene, including simple production and processing, and highly tunable properties. For example, by removing some of the oxygen from graphene oxide, this electrically-insulating material can be rendered conductive, opening up prospects for use in flexible electronics, sensors, solar cells and biomedical devices.
As reported in Carbon, this study provides new insight into the spatial resolution limits and mechanisms of a relatively new process for patterning conductive regions in insulating graphene oxide. The minimum conductive feature size of 4nm is the smallest achieved so far by any method for this material.
According to Mativetsky, this approach is promising for the lab-scale prototyping of nanoscale conductive patterns in graphene oxide. "There is significant interest in defining regions with different functionalities, and writing circuitry into two-dimensional materials," he said. "Our approach provides a way to directly pattern electrically-conductive and insulating regions into graphene oxide with high spatial resolution."
This work not only helps advance the fundamental study of the nanoscale physical properties of graphene oxide but also opens up new avenues for incorporating graphene oxide into future technologies. Because the process developed by Mativetsky avoids the use of harmful chemicals, high temperatures or inert gas atmospheres, it represents a promising step towards environmentally-friendly manufacturing with graphene oxide. "At first, this will mainly be useful for studying fundamental properties and lab-scale devices," said Mativetsky. "Eventually, this work may help lead to the practical integration of graphene oxide into low-cost and flexible electronics, solar cells and sensors."
Mativetsky was recently awarded a three-year grant from the US National Science Foundation to further study his approach to tailoring the structure and properties of graphene oxide.
This story is adapted from material from Binghamton University, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier. Link to original source.