The Effect of Thickness and Chemical Reduction of Graphene Oxide on Nanoscale Friction.

The tribological properties of two-dimensional (2D) atomic layers are quite different from three-dimensional continuum materials because of the unique mechanical responses of 2D layers. It is known that friction on graphene shows a remarkable decreasing behavior as the number of layers increases, which is caused by the puckering effect. On other graphene derivatives, such as graphene oxide (GO) or reduced graphene oxide (rGO), the thickness dependence of friction is important because of the possibilities for technical applications.

Probing the nanoscale Schottky barrier of metal/semiconductor interfaces of Pt/CdSe/Pt nanodumbbells by conductive-probe atomic force microscopy.

The electrical nature of the nanoscale contact between metal nanodots and semiconductor rods has drawn significant interest because of potential applications for metal-semiconductor hybrid nanostructures in energy conversion or heterogeneous catalysis. Here, we studied the nanoscale electrical character of the Pt/CdSe junction in Pt/CdSe/Pt nanodumbbells on connected Au islands by conductive-probe atomic force microscopy under ultra-high vacuum. Current-voltage plots measured in contact mode revealed Schottky barrier heights of individual nanojunctions of 0.

Internal and external atomic steps in graphite exhibit dramatically different physical and chemical properties.

We report on the physical and chemical properties of atomic steps on the surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) investigated using atomic force microscopy. Two types of step edges are identified: internal (formed during crystal growth) and external (formed by mechanical cleavage of bulk HOPG). The external steps exhibit higher friction than the internal steps due to the broken bonds of the exposed edge C atoms, while carbon atoms in the internal steps are not exposed.

Large changes of graphene conductance as a function of lattice orientation between stacked layers.

Using the conductive tip of an atomic force microscope as an electrode, we found that the electrical conductance of graphite terraces separated by steps can vary by large factors of up to 100, depending on the relative lattice orientation of the surface and subsurface layers. This effect can be attributed to interlayer interactions that, when stacked commensurately in a Bernal sequence (ABAB..

Hot carrier-driven catalytic reactions on Pt-CdSe-Pt nanodumbbells and Pt/GaN under light irradiation.

Hybrid nanocatalysts consisting of metal nanoparticle-semiconductor junctions offer an interesting platform to study the role of metal-oxide interfaces and hot electron flows in heterogeneous catalysis. Here, we report that hot carriers generated upon photon absorption significantly impact the catalytic activity of CO oxidation. We found that Pt-CdSe-Pt nanodumbbells exhibit a higher turnover frequency by a factor of 2 during irradiation by light with energy higher than the bandgap of CdSe, while the turnover rate on bare Pt nanoparticles did not depend on light irradiation.

Superlubric sliding of graphene nanoflakes on graphene.

The lubricating properties of graphite and graphene have been intensely studied by sliding a frictional force microscope tip against them to understand the origin of the observed low friction. In contrast, the relative motion of free graphene layers remains poorly understood. Here we report a study of the sliding behavior of graphene nanoflakes (GNFs) on a graphene surface.

Enhanced nanoscale friction on fluorinated graphene.

Atomically thin graphene is an ideal model system for studying nanoscale friction due to its intrinsic two-dimensional (2D) anisotropy. Furthermore, modulating its tribological properties could be an important milestone for graphene-based micro- and nanomechanical devices. Here, we report unexpectedly enhanced nanoscale friction on chemically modified graphene and a relevant theoretical analysis associated with flexural phonons.