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Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

A recent quantum mechanical study of graphene by a research team at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), South Korea, has elucidated the intercalation mechanism and pathways for graphene decoupling from the copper substrate.

The graphene films, grown on the copper (Cu) substrates must be detached clean without leaving residue behind, as residual metallic impurities can significantly alter electronic and electrochemical properties of graphene. [phys.org]
...
The difference between the armchair GNR and zigzag GNR on the Cu(111) substrate, is distinguished by the presence of an edge state in the zigzag GNR edges, which has been attributed to the hybridization between the out-of-plane carbon π orbitals and the metal d orbitals. This edge state, however, is absent in the armchair GNR edge atoms. Such an observation has not been reported for H-terminated GNR on Cu(111).

Vibrational stretching mode calculations showed that the GNR edges influenced the molecular adsorption of oxygen at the bare and GNR/Cu sites, confirming the role of GNR edges in weakening the pre-elongated O-O bond at the GNR/Cu interface. The research team also explained that the GNR edges facilitated the stabilization of water molecules (regardless of surface oxygenation), which would otherwise be unstable on the bare Cu surface.

Precise control of graphene and carbon nanotube formation has been an ongoing challenge for their widespread adoption into production products.

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