Large-scale growth, fluorination, clean transfer, and layering of graphene and related nanomaterials

This dissertation improves the synthesis, functionalization (i.e., fluorination), and transfer of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). Further, this document explores new avenues in the large-area, heterogeneous layering of graphene, h-BN, and related nanomaterials like nanoscale water and biomolecules. It is determined that monolayer, high-quality graphene growth by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on Cu depends on the substrate’s crystallography, with few-defect, monolayer graphene growing on Cu(111). Functionalizing CVD graphene with XeF2 produces fluorinated graphene (FG) with C4F and CF stoichiometries. FG films seed high-κ HfO2 films better than pristine graphene. An atomically clean nanomaterial transfer method using poly(bisphenol A carbonate) (PC) is developed and benchmarked against alternative transfer scaffolds. A transferred CVD graphene overlayer encapsulates one to three nanoscale water layers on mica. The graphene shrink wrapped water is highly viscous and robust, withstanding ultra-high vacuum and high-temperature treatments. The PC transfer process is then used to shrink wrap heterogeneous combinations of graphene, h-BN, FG, water, CNTs, and biomolecules like tobacco mosaic viruses, proteins, and DNA. Biomolecules under graphene shrink wrap undergo pressure denaturation, affecting vicinal hydration. The water crystallizes at MBD-DNA complexes and spinodally dewets at pressure-denatured NA proteins on mica. Finally, the CVD growth of h-BN progresses from planar, large-grain films to amorphous, polymeric films as surface catalysis is suppressed and the growth pressure is increased. Also, the CVD h-BN films are thicker and more defective on high-index Cu facets versus low-index Cu(100).

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Wood, Joshua

Contributors dc:contributor

• Lyding, Joseph W.
• Pop, Eric
• Bashir, Rashid
• Gruebele, Martin
• Ravaioli, Umberto

• graphene
• hexagonal boron nitride
• transfer
• synthesis
• functionalization
• fluorine
• scanning tunneling microscopy
• Raman spectroscopy
• biomolecules
• denaturation
• layering

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2013 Joshua Wood

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/46670

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/46670