Researchers develop method to measure the migration of carbon atoms on the surface of graphene

Researchers at the University of Vienna have measured the migration of carbon atoms on the surface of graphene for the first time. Although the atoms move too quickly to be directly observed with an electron microscope, their effect on the stability of the material can now be determined indirectly while the material is heated on a microscopic hot plate.

Graphene has been the subject of intensive research for years, but it has not been possible to measure some fundamental processes, including the motion of carbon atoms on its surface. This random migration is the atomic origin of the phenomenon of diffusion – the natural motion of particles such as atoms or molecules in gases, liquids or solids. In the atmosphere and the oceans, this phenomenon ensures an even distribution of oxygen and salt. In the technical industries, it is of central importance for steel production, lithium-ion batteries, and fuel cells, to name a few examples. In materials science, diffusion at the surface of solids explains how certain catalytic reactions proceed and many crystalline materials including graphene are grown.