Graphene wrinkling induced by monodisperse nanoparticles: facile control and quantification

TL;DR

This study demonstrates a simple method to control and quantify the wrinkling of single-layer graphene using monodisperse nanoparticles, with implications for tuning graphene's surface properties.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to induce and measure graphene wrinkling at the nanoscale through nanoparticle placement and Raman spectroscopy analysis.

Findings

Raman spectroscopy distinguishes between contact and delaminated graphene regions.

Wrinkling degree correlates linearly with Raman feature intensity.

Achieved up to approximately 60% wrinkling of graphene surface.

Abstract

Controlled wrinkling of single-layer graphene (1-LG) at nanometer scale was achieved by introducing monodisperse nanoparticles (NPs), with size comparable to the strain coherence length, underneath the 1-LG. Typical fingerprint of the delaminated fraction of 1-LG is identified as substantial contribution to the principal Raman modes of the 1-LG. Correlation analysis of the Raman shift of the modes clearly resolved the 1-LG in contact and delaminated from the substrate, respectively. Intensity of Raman features of the delaminated 1-LG increases linearly with the amount of the wrinkles, determined by advanced processing of atomic force microscopy data. Our study thus offers universal approach for both fine tuning and facile quantification of the graphene topography up to ~ 60% of wrinkling.