Effects of Electron-Beam Irradiation on Graphene Oxide

TL;DR

This study investigates how scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging at different energies and durations affects the structural integrity of graphene oxide (GO) films, revealing potential damage at higher energies and longer exposure times.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the effects of SEM imaging parameters on GO, highlighting conditions that cause structural damage and amorphous carbon formation.

Findings

30 keV electron beam for 30 minutes may cause amorphous carbon formation

10 keV or 20 keV beams for 30 minutes do not significantly damage GO

Raman spectroscopy reveals structural modifications depending on beam energy and exposure time

Abstract

Graphene oxide (GO) is a nanofilm composed of graphene with various oxygen functional groups attached. GO is of interest due to its unique mechanical-enhancement properties, its tunable electronic properties, and its potential use in the wide-scale production of graphene. Scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) are frequently used to characterize and study GO films. The purpose of this project was to study the effects of SEM-imaging on GO films. Using an SEM, we irradiated GO samples at electron beam-energies of 10, 20, and 30 keV (at a constant emission current of ~40 micro-amps) for times ranging from 15 minutes to one hour. Raman D- and G-band intensities were used to examine structural modifications/damage to GO samples as a function of beam energy and exposure time. The results suggest that imaging with a 30 keV electron beam for 30 minutes may lead to the formation of amorphous carbon, while imaging with 10 keV or 20 keV beams for 30 minutes does not have a significant effect on GO samples.