Name: preparation and characterization of c60/graphene hybrid nanostructures
Uploaded: 2018-05-15T13:00:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Preparation and Characterization of C60/Graphene Hybrid Nanostructures at JoVE.com

This work is supported by the U.S. Army Research Office under the grant W911NF-15-1-0414.

1. Preparation of the Homemade Knudsen Cell
<ol>
	<li>Prepare components for Knudsen cell
	<ol>
		<li>Purchase a CF flanged based power feedthrough (2.75&#34; CF, 4 pins stainless steel). Drill two threaded holes through the feedthrough, at the cross points between one diameter 1.30&#34; line and its circumference.</li>
		<li>Prepare a glass tube (0.315&#34; outside diameter (OD), 2.50&#34; length).</li>
		<li>Purchase thin copper sheets (99.9%) with 0.005&#34; thickness. Cut one sheet to the dimension...

<ol>
	<li>Gutzler, R., Heckl, W. M., Lackinger, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Combination+of+a+Knudsen+effusion+cell+with+a+quartz+crystal+microbalance:+In+situ+measurement+of+molecular+evaporation+rates+with+a+fully+functional+deposition+source.">Combination of a Knudsen effusion cell with a quartz crystal microbalance: In situ measurement of molecular evaporation rates with a fully functional deposition source.</a> Review of Scientific Instruments. 81, 015108 (2010).</li><li>de Barros, A. L. F., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+simple+experimental+arrangement+for+measuring+the+vapour+pressures+and+sublimation+enthalpies+by+the+Knudsen+effusion+method:+Application+to+DNA+and+RNA+bases.">A simple experimental arrangement for measuring the vapour pressures and sublimation enthalpies by the Knudsen effusion method: Application to DNA and RNA bases.</a> Nuclear Instruments &amp; Methods in Physics Research Section a-Accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment. 560, (2006).</li><li>Shukla, A. K., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Versatile+UHV+compatible+Knudsen+type+effusion+cell.">Versatile UHV compatible Knudsen type effusion cell.</a> Review of Scientific Instruments. 75, 4467 (2004).</li><li>Cho, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Structural+and+Electronic+Decoupling+of+C60+from+Epitaxial+Graphene+on+SiC.">Structural and Electronic Decoupling of C60 from Epitaxial Graphene on SiC.</a> Nano Letters. 12, 3018 (2012).</li><li>Jung, M., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Atomically+resolved+orientational+ordering+of+C60+molecules+on+epitaxial+graphene+on+Cu(111).">Atomically resolved orientational ordering of C60 molecules on epitaxial graphene on Cu(111).</a> Nanoscale. 6 (111), 11835 (2014).</li><li>Li, G., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Self-assembly+of+C60+monolayer+on+epitaxially+grown,+nanostructured+graphene+on+Ru(0001)+surface.">Self-assembly of C60 monolayer on epitaxially grown, nanostructured graphene on Ru(0001) surface.</a> Applied Physics Letters. 100 (0001), 013304 (2012).</li><li>Lu, J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Using+the+Graphene+Moire+Pattern+for+the+Trapping+of+C60+and+Homoepitaxy+of+Graphene.">Using the Graphene Moire Pattern for the Trapping of C60 and Homoepitaxy of Graphene.</a> Acs Nano. 6, 944 (2012).</li><li>Zhou, H. T., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Direct+imaging+of+intrinsic+molecular+orbitals+using+two-dimensional,+epitaxially-grown,+nanostructured+graphene+for+study+of+single+molecule+and+interactions.">Direct imaging of intrinsic molecular orbitals using two-dimensional, epitaxially-grown, nanostructured graphene for study of single molecule and interactions.</a> Applied Physics Letters. 99, 153101 (2011).</li><li>Belaish, I., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Spin+Cast+Thin-Films+of+Fullerenes+and+Fluorinated+Fullerenes+-+Preparation+and+Characterization+by+X-Ray+Reflectivity+and+Surface+Diffuse-X-Ray+Scattering.">Spin Cast Thin-Films of Fullerenes and Fluorinated Fullerenes - Preparation and Characterization by X-Ray Reflectivity and Surface Diffuse-X-Ray Scattering.</a> Journal of Applied Physics. 71, 5248 (1992).</li><li>Bezmel'nitsyn, V. N., Eletskii, A. V., Okun', M. V. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Fullerenes+in+solutions.">Fullerenes in solutions.</a> Uspekhi Fizicheskikh Nauk. 168, 1195 (1998).</li><li>Ma, D. N., Sandoval, S., Muralidharan, K., Raghavan, S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Effect+of+surface+preparation+of+copper+on+spin-coating+driven+self-assembly+of+fullerene+molecules.">Effect of surface preparation of copper on spin-coating driven self-assembly of fullerene molecules.</a> Microelectronic Engineering. 170, 8 (2017).</li><li>Chen, C. H., Zheng, H. S., Mills, A., Heflin, J. R., Tao, C. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Temperature+Evolution+of+Quasi-one-dimensional+C60+Nanostructures+on+Rippled+Graphene.">Temperature Evolution of Quasi-one-dimensional C60 Nanostructures on Rippled Graphene.</a> Scientific Reports. 5, 14336 (2015).</li></ol>

The techniques described in this protocol are designed for thermal deposition of organic materials and other high vapor pressure materials. These techniques can be integrated with ultra-high vacuum systems that have sample preparation areas capable of supporting molecular evaporation as well as thermal annealing. The aim for this specific experiment is to deposit C60 molecules on graphene substrate and study the self-assembly of C60 and the thermal effect.
The benefit of ...

This protocol explains how to deposit and manipulate C60 molecules on graphene such that 1D and quasi-1D C60 chain structures can be realized. The techniques in this experiment were developed to address the need to guide adsorbates into desirable configurations without having to rely on manual manipulation, which is slow and can require great effort. The procedures described here rely on the use of a high vacuum system with a sample preparation area capable of supporting molecular deposition and thermal annealing of the samples. STM is used to characterize the samples, but other molecular resolution techniques may be applied.
The thermal evaporation of molecules within a Knudsen cell is an efficient and clean way to prepare thin films. In this protocol, a Knudsen cell is used to evaporate C60 molecules onto a graphene substrate. This Knudsen cell evaporator mainly consists of a quartz tube, a heating filament, thermocouple wires, and feedthroughs1,2,3. The quartz tube is used to accommodate the molecules, the tungsten filament heats the molecules in the quartz tube through applied current, and the thermocouple wires are used to measure the temperature. In the experiments, the deposition rate is controlled by tuning the temperature source in the Knudsen cell. The thermocouple wires are attached to the outside wall of the quartz tube and therefore typically measure a temperature of the outside wall that is slightly different from the temperature inside of the cell where the molecular source is located. To obtain the exact temperature in the quartz tube, we performed calibration using two thermocouple setups to measure temperatures inside and outside the tube and recorded the temperature difference. In this way, we can more precisely control the temperature of the source during the molecular evaporation experiments using thermocouple wires attached to the outside of the quartz tube. Because a small amount of the sublimated molecules will be in a gaseous phase at a lower pressure, when the molecules are evaporated, there is usually an associated pressure change. Therefore, we monitor the change of the pressure in the load lock carefully.
This evaporator can be used to deposit various molecule sources such as C60, C70, boron subphthalocyanine chloride, Ga, Al, and Hg4,5,6,7,8. Compared with other thin film preparation techniques, for instance, spin casting9,10,11, the thermal evaporation in high vacuum is much cleaner and versatile since there is no solvent required for the deposition. Furthermore, the degassing process before deposition improves the purity of the source, eliminating possible impurities.

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>CF Flanged power feedthrough</td>
			<td>Kurt J. Lesker</td>
			<td>EFT0042033</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Copper sheets</td>
			<td>Alfa Aesar</td>
			<td>7440-50-8</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Thermocouple chromel/alumel wires</td>
			<td>Omega Engineering</td>
			<td>ST032034/ST080042</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Tungsten wires</td>
			<td>Alfa Aesar</td>
			<td>7440-33-7</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Stainless steel rods</td>
			<td>McMaster-Carr</td>
			<td>95412A868</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Copper wires</td>
			<td>McMaster-Carr</td>
			<td>8873K28</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Hollow copper rods</td>
			<td>McMaster-Carr</td>
			<td>7190K52</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>C60</td>
			<td>MER Corporation</td>
			<td>MR6LP</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

preparation and characterization of c60/graphene hybrid nanostructures

Physical thermal deposition in a high vacuum environment is a clean and controllable method for fabricating novel molecular nanostructures on graphene. We present methods for depositing and passively manipulating C60 molecules on rippled graphene that advance the pursuit of realizing applications involving 1D C60/graphene hybrid structures. The techniques applied in this exposition are geared towards high vacuum systems with preparation areas capable of supporting molecular deposition as well as thermal annealing of the samples. We focus on C60 deposition at low pressure using a homemade Knudsen cell connected to a scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) system. The number of molecules deposited is regulated by controlling the temperature of the Knudsen cell and the deposition time. One-dimensional (1D) C60 chain structures with widths of two to three molecules can be prepared via tuning of the experimental conditions. The surface mobility of the C60 molecules increases with annealing temperature allowing them to move within the periodic potential of the rippled graphene. Using this mechanism, it is possible to control the transition of 1D C60 chain structures to a hexagonal close packed quasi-1D stripe structure.

Following evaporation, the graphene with the newly deposited C60 is annealed at 150 &#176;C for 2 h. The large-scale STM image in Figure 2a shows a characteristic quasi-1D C60 chain structure found after this initial annealing process. A closer inspection in Figure 2b reveals detailed information of this 1D structure, in which each bright spherical protrusion represents one single C60 molecule. Ty...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Preparation and Characterization of C60/Graphene Hybrid Nanostructures at JoVE.com

Preparation and Characterization of C60/Graphene Hybrid Nanostructures

Here we present a protocol for the fabrication of C60/graphene hybrid nanostructures by physical thermal evaporation. Particularly, the proper manipulation of deposition and annealing conditions allow the control over the creation of 1D and quasi 1D C60 structures on rippled graphene.

Preparation and Characterization of C60/Graphene Hybrid Nanostructures

Physical thermal deposition in a high vacuum environment is a clean and controllable method for fabricating novel molecular nanostructures on graphene. We ...

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