Division of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University , Singapore 637371, Singapore.
Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University , Singapore 637371, Singapore.
Nano Lett. 2017 May 10;17(5):2833-2838. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b05183. Epub 2017 Apr 12.
Graphene nanobubbles are of significant interest due to their ability to trap mesoscopic volumes of gas for various applications in nanoscale engineering. However, conventional protocols to produce such bubbles are relatively elaborate and require specialized equipment to subject graphite samples to high temperatures or pressures. Here, we demonstrate the formation of graphene nanobubbles between layers of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) with electrolysis. Although this process can also lead to the formation of gaseous surface nanobubbles on top of the substrate, the two types of bubbles can easily be distinguished using atomic force microscopy. We estimated the Young's modulus, internal pressure, and the thickness of the top membrane of the graphene nanobubbles. The hydrogen storage capacity can reach ∼5 wt % for a graphene nanobubble with a membrane that is four layers thick. The simplicity of our protocol paves the way for such graphitic nanobubbles to be utilized for energy storage and industrial applications on a wide scale.
石墨烯纳米气泡因其能够捕获各种纳米尺度工程应用中的中观体积气体而备受关注。然而，传统的制备此类气泡的方法相对复杂，需要专门的设备将石墨样品置于高温或高压下。在这里，我们展示了通过电解在高取向热解石墨 (HOPG) 层之间形成石墨烯纳米气泡。尽管该过程也可以在基底表面形成气态表面纳米气泡，但可以使用原子力显微镜轻松区分这两种类型的气泡。我们估算了石墨烯纳米气泡的杨氏模量、内压和顶层膜的厚度。对于厚度为四层的石墨烯纳米气泡，其储氢量可达约 5wt%。我们的方案简单易行，为这种石墨纳米气泡在储能和工业应用方面的广泛应用铺平了道路。
