Andrei V. Alaferdov

Nonlocal laser annealing to improve thermal contacts between multi-layer graphene and metals

The accuracy of thermal conductivity measurements by the micro-Raman technique for suspended multi-layer graphene flakes has been shown to depend critically on the quality of the thermal contacts between the flakes and the metal electrodes used as the heat sink. The quality of the contacts can be improved by nonlocal laser annealing at increased power. The improvement of the thermal contacts to initially rough metal electrodes is attributed to local melting of the metal surface under laser heating, and increased area of real metal-graphene contact. Improvement of the thermal contacts between multi-layer graphene and a silicon oxide surface was also observed, with more efficient heat transfer from graphene as compared with the graphene-metal case.

Burning Graphene Layer-by-Layer

Graphene, in single layer or multi-layer forms, holds great promise for future electronics and high-temperature applications. Resistance to oxidation, an important property for high-temperature applications, has not yet been extensively investigated. Controlled thinning of multi-layer graphene (MLG), e.g., by plasma or laser processing is another challenge, since the existing methods produce non-uniform thinning or introduce undesirable defects in the basal plane. We report here that heating to extremely high temperatures (exceeding 2000 K) and controllable layer-by-layer burning (thinning) can be achieved by low-power laser processing of suspended high-quality MLG in air in “cold-wall” reactor configuration. In contrast, localized laser heating of supported samples results in non-uniform graphene burning at much higher rates. Fully atomistic molecular dynamics simulations were also performed to reveal details of oxidation mechanisms leading to uniform layer-by-layer graphene gasification. The extraordinary resistance of MLG to oxidation paves the way to novel high-temperature applications as continuum light source or scaffolding material.

A wearable, highly stable, strain and bending sensor based on high aspect ratio graphite nanobelts.

A simple and scalable method was developed for the fabrication of wearable strain and bending sensors, based on high aspect ratio (length/thickness ∼10(3)) graphite nanobelt thin films deposited by a modified Langmuir-Blodgett technique onto flexible polymer substrates. The sensing mechanism is based on the changes in contact resistance between individual nanobelts upon substrate deformation. Very high sensor response stability for more than 5000 strain-release cycles and a device power consumption as low as 1 nW were achieved. The device maximum stretchability is limited by the metal electrodes and the polymer substrate; the maximum strain that could be applied to the polymer used in this work was 40%. Bending tests carried out for various radii of curvature demonstrated distinct sensor responses for positive and negative curvatures. The graphite nanobelt thin flexible films were successfully tested for acoustic vibration and heartbeat sensing.

Photoinduced electrical response in quantum dots/graphene hybrid structure

We report on the enhancement of the electrical photoresponse in a hybrid structure composed of multi-layer graphene flakes covered by a layer of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) and placed between metal electrodes. The rate of the photoexcitation energy transfer from QDs to graphene, (0.5–2)×109 s−1 which controls the photoelectrical response of the structure, was found from the analysis of photoluminescence intensities and decay times for QDs in solution, on a bare glass substrate and on the surface of multilayer graphene, and in the presence of ammonia vapors.

Formation of thin, flexible, conducting films composed of multilayer graphene

The possibility of fabricating high-quality thin (10–100 nm), flexible, semitransparent films of multilayer graphene and graphite nanoplates (ultrathin graphite) using a modified Langmuir-Blodgett method is demonstrated. The high quality of the resulting samples is confirmed via Raman spectroscopy and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. Sheet resistance measurements for the films show values of ∼100 Ω/sq and lower.

Study of the thermal contact between carbon nanotubes and a metal electrode

The thermal resistance of the contact between a metal and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and between CNT layers is estimated by the local heating of CNT arrays (films) of different thicknesses using a focused laser beam and measuring their local temperature via Raman spectroscopy. It is demonstrated that thermal contacts between nanotubes, and also between CNTs and an electrode, can be formed by means of laser annealing.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of palladium nanoparticles intercalated nitrogen doped reduced graphene oxide and their electrocatalytic activity for direct-ethanol fuel cells

Palladium nanoparticles decorated reduced graphene oxide (Pd-rGO) and palladium nanoparticles intercalated inside nitrogen doped reduced graphene oxide (Pd-NrGO) hybrids have been synthesized by applying a very simple, fast and economic route using microwave-assisted in-situ reduction and exfoliation method. The Pd-NrGO hybrids materials show good activity as catalyst for ethanol electro oxidation for direct ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs) as compared to Pd-rGO hybrids. The enhanced direct ethanol fuel cell can serve as alternative to fossil fuels because it is renewable and environmentally-friendly with a high energy conversion efficiency and low pollutant emission. As proof of concept, the electrocatalytic activity of Pd-NrGO hybrid material was accessed by cyclic voltammetry in presence of ethanol to evaluate its applicability in direct-ethanol fuel cells (DEFCs). The Pd-NrGO catalyst presented higher electro active surface area (∼6.3 m2 g-1) for ethanol electro-oxidation when compared to Pd-rGO hybrids (∼3.7 m2 g-1). Despite the smaller catalytic activity of Pd-NrGO, which was attributed to the lower exfoliation rate of this material in relation to the Pd-rGO, Pd-NrGO showed to be very promising and its catalytic activity can be further improved by tuning the synthesis parameters to increase the exfoliation rate.

Gas Sensors Based on Locally Heated Multiwall Carbon Nanotubes Decorated with Metal Nanoparticles

We report the design and fabrication of microreactors and sensors based on metal nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotubes. Titanium adhesion layers and gold films were sputtered onto Si/SiO2 substrates for obtaining the electrical contacts. The gold layers were electrochemically thickened until 1 m and the electrodes were patterned using photolithography and wet chemical etching. Before the dielectrophoretic deposition of the nanotubes, a gap 1 m wide and 5 m deep was milled in the middle of the metallic line by focused ion beam, allowing the fabrication of sensors based on suspended nanotubes bridging the electrodes. Subsequently, the sputtering technique was used for decorating the nanotubes with metallic nanoparticles. In order to test the as-obtained sensors, microreactors (100 L volume) were machined from a single Kovar piece, being equipped with electrical connections and 1/4′′ Swagelok-compatible gas inlet and outlets for controlling the atmosphere in the testing chamber. The sensors, electrically connected to the contact pins by wire-bonding, were tested in the 10−5 to 10−2 W working power interval using oxygen as target gas. The small chamber volume allowed the measurement of fast characteristic times (response/recovery), with the sensors showing good sensitivity.

High-temperature intrinsic ferromagnetism in the (In,Fe)Sb semiconductor

(In,Fe)Sb layers with a Fe content up to 13 at. % have been grown on (001) GaAs substrates using the pulsed laser deposition. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the layers are epitaxial and free of second-phase inclusions. The observation of hysteretic magnetoresistance curves at temperatures up to 300 K and the investigations of magnetic circular dichroism reveal that the Curie point lies above room temperature. The resonant character of magnetic circular dichroism confirms the intrinsic ferromagnetism in the (In,Fe)Sb matrix. We suggest that the ferromagnetism of the (In,Fe)Sb matrix is not carrier-mediated and is apparently determined by the mechanism of superexchange interaction between Fe atoms.

Quantum dots - graphene hybrid structures: interplay of optical and electrical properties

We investigate electrical photoresponse of multilayer graphene decorated with CdSe/ZnS quantum dots. It was found that photoresponse of these hybrid structures depends on quantum dot photoluminescence quantum yield. We demonstrate in uence of external factors (light exposure and treatment with ammonia vapors) on photoluminescence quantum yield of quantum dots and electrical photoresponse of the hybrid structures.