| AVS 58th Annual International Symposium and Exhibition | |
| Surface Science Division | Friday Sessions |
| Session SS-FrM |
| Session: | Surface Science on Graphene |
| Presenter: | Zhu Liang, University of Illinois at Chicago |
| Authors: | Z. Liang, University of Illinois at Chicago H. Khosravian, University of Illinois at Chicago A. Uhl, University of Illinois at Chicago R. Meyer, University of Illinois at Chicago M. Trenary, University of Illinois at Chicago |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Graphene on transition metal substrates often forms superlattices that are manifested as Moiré patterns in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images. Such graphene superlattices can serve as templates for the formation of periodic arrays of metal nanoclusters with a uniform size distribution, a situation that is ideal for model catalyst studies. We have used an ultra high vacuum (UHV) STM to investigate graphene growth on Pt(111) from precursor hydrocarbon species. Different periodicities in the Moiré patterns are observed corresponding to different orientations of the graphene layer with respect to the Pt(111) lattice. Various graphene orientations are possible because of a relatively weak graphene-Pt interaction. Following Pt deposition onto the graphene-covered areas of the surface, small Pt nanoclusters were observed. While graphene on Pt(111) only weakly interacts with the substrate, which leads to a weak corrugation in the superlattice compared to other transition metals, such as Ru, our results show that even this weak corrugation is sufficient to serve as a template for the formation of mono-dispersed Pt nanoclusters. These Pt nanoclusters are relatively stable and only undergo agglomeration for annealing temperatures above 600 K.