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Direct evidence for atomic defects in graphene layers

Nature volume 430, pages 870–873 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Atomic-scale defects in graphene layers alter the physical and chemical properties of carbon nanostructures1,2. Theoretical predictions have recently shown that energetic particles such as electrons and ions can induce polymorphic atomic defects in graphene layers as a result of knock-on atom displacements3,4. However, the number of experimental reports on these defects is limited5,6. The graphite network in single-walled carbon nanotubes has been visualized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and their chiral indices have been determined7,8. But the methods used require a long image acquisition time and intensive numerical treatments after observations to find an ‘average’ image, which prevents the accurate detection and investigation of defect structures. Here we report observations in situ of defect formation in single graphene layers by high-resolution TEM. The observed structures are expected to be of use when engineering the properties of carbon nanostructures for specific device applications.

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Figure 1: Chiral index determination of SWNTs.
Figure 2: In situ observation of a topological defect induced in a graphene layer.
Figure 3: In situ observation of vacancy formation in a graphene layer.
Figure 4: In situ observation of adatom–vacancy pair formation.

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Acknowledgements

We thank M. Kociak for his instructions on the chiral index determination of SWNTs; C. Ewels and Y. Miyamoto for discussions on defective carbon structures; and M. Yudasaka and S. Bandow for help with specimen preparation. Work on HR-TEM is supported by the NEDO Nano-Carbon Technology project. A.H. was supported by Research Fellowships of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science for Young Scientists.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Center for Advanced Carbon Materials, National Institute for Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, 305-8565, Japan

    Ayako Hashimoto, Kazu Suenaga, Alexandre Gloter, Koki Urita & Sumio Iijima

  2. Laboratoire de Physique des Solides, CNRS UMR 8502, Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, 91405, France

    Alexandre Gloter

  3. Graduate School of Science and Technology, Chiba University, 263-8522, Chiba, Japan

    Koki Urita

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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kazu Suenaga.

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Supplementary information

Supplementary Information Fig.S1 - S3

Fig.S1: Contrast transfer function chosen to enhance contrast made of the zig-zag chain (bottom inset) and a taken HR-TEM image of a SWNT; Fig.S2: A fast Fourier transform of the presented HR-TEM image of a graphene layer for the defocus value confirmation; Fig.S3: Relationship between the true diameter and the apparent diameter. (DOC 504 kb)

Supplementary Movie 1

A sequential HR-TEM images of the vacancy formation. See Fig. 3 and its captions. The bright spots correspond to the vacancies. (GIF 733 kb)

Supplementary Movie 2

A sequential HR-TEM images of the vacancy and adatom formation on a SWNT. One can see the bright spots as the vacancies. The dark spots moving around correspond to the carbon adatoms. See Fig. 4 and its captions. (GIF 671 kb)

Supplementary Movie 3

Another sequential HR-TEM images of the vacancy and adatom formation. (GIF 1244 kb)

Supplementary Movie 4

A sequential HR-TEM images presenting the formation of adatom/di-vacancy combination before collapse. See Fig. 4b, 4c and 4d. (GIF 187 kb)

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Hashimoto, A., Suenaga, K., Gloter, A. et al. Direct evidence for atomic defects in graphene layers. Nature 430, 870–873 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02817

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