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ABSTRACT: Two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) have attracted significant attention due to their remarkable properties. Numerous interesting graphene/hBN hybrid structures have been proposed but their implementation has been very limited. In this work, the synthesis of patched structures through consecutive chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on the same substrate was investigated. Both in-plane junctions and stacked layers were obtained. For stacked layers, depending on the synthesis sequence, in one case turbostratic stacking with random rotations were obtained. In another, "AA-like", slightly twisted stacking between graphene and hBN was observed with lattice orientation misalignment consistently to be <1°. Raman characterizations not only confirmed that hBN is a superior substrate but also revealed for the first time that a graphene edge with hBN passivation displays reduced D band intensity compared to an open edge. These studies pave the way for the proposed well-ordered graphene/hBN structures and outline exciting future directions for hybrid 2D materials.
Nano Letters 03/2013; · 13.20 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is a promising material as a dielectric layer or substrate for two-dimensional electronic devices. In this work, we report the synthesis of large-area h-BN film using atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition on a copper foil, followed by Cu etching and transfer to a target substrate. The growth rate of h-BN film at a constant temperature is strongly affected by the concentration of borazine as a precursor and the ambient gas condition such as the ratio of hydrogen and nitrogen. h-BN films with different thicknesses can be achieved by controlling the growth time or tuning the growth conditions. Transmission electron microscope characterization reveals that these h-BN films are polycrystalline, and the c-axis of the crystallites points to different directions. The stoichiometry ratio of boron and nitrogen is close to 1:1, obtained by electron energy loss spectroscopy. The dielectric constant of h-BN film obtained by parallel capacitance measurements (25 μm(2) large areas) is 2-4. These CVD-grown h-BN films were integrated as a dielectric layer in top-gated CVD graphene devices, and the mobility of the CVD graphene device (in the few thousands cm(2)/(V·s) range) remains the same before and after device integration.
ACS Nano 09/2012; 6(10):8583-90. · 10.77 Impact Factor
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Yumeng Shi,
Wu Zhou,
Ang-Yu Lu,
Wenjing Fang,
Yi-Hsien Lee,
Allen Long Hsu, Soo Min Kim,
Ki Kang Kim,
Hui Ying Yang,
Lain-Jong Li,
Juan-Carlos Idrobo,
Jing Kong
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ABSTRACT: We present a method for synthesizing MoS(2)/Graphene hybrid heterostructures with a growth template of graphene-covered Cu foil. Compared to other recent reports, (1, 2) a much lower growth temperature of 400 °C is required for this procedure. The chemical vapor deposition of MoS(2) on the graphene surface gives rise to single crystalline hexagonal flakes with a typical lateral size ranging from several hundred nanometers to several micrometers. The precursor (ammonium thiomolybdate) together with solvent was transported to graphene surface by a carrier gas at room temperature, which was then followed by post annealing. At an elevated temperature, the precursor self-assembles to form MoS(2) flakes epitaxially on the graphene surface via thermal decomposition. With higher amount of precursor delivered onto the graphene surface, a continuous MoS(2) film on graphene can be obtained. This simple chemical vapor deposition method provides a unique approach for the synthesis of graphene heterostructures and surface functionalization of graphene. The synthesized two-dimensional MoS(2)/Graphene hybrids possess great potential toward the development of new optical and electronic devices as well as a wide variety of newly synthesizable compounds for catalysts.
Nano Letters 05/2012; 12(6):2784-91. · 13.20 Impact Factor
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Ki Kang Kim,
Allen Hsu,
Xiaoting Jia, Soo Min Kim,
Yumeng Shi,
Mario Hofmann,
Daniel Nezich,
Joaquin F Rodriguez-Nieva,
Mildred Dresselhaus,
Tomas Palacios,
Jing Kong
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ABSTRACT: Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is very attractive for many applications, particularly, as protective coating, dielectric layer/substrate, transparent membrane, or deep ultraviolet emitter. In this work, we carried out a detailed investigation of h-BN synthesis on Cu substrate using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) with two heating zones under low pressure (LP). Previous atmospheric pressure (AP) CVD syntheses were only able to obtain few layer h-BN without a good control on the number of layers. In contrast, under LPCVD growth, monolayer h-BN was synthesized and time-dependent growth was investigated. It was also observed that the morphology of the Cu surface affects the location and density of the h-BN nucleation. Ammonia borane is used as a BN precursor, which is easily accessible and more stable under ambient conditions than borazine. The h-BN films are characterized by atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and electron energy loss spectroscopy analyses. Our results suggest that the growth here occurs via surface-mediated growth, which is similar to graphene growth on Cu under low pressure. These atomically thin layers are particularly attractive for use as atomic membranes or dielectric layers/substrates for graphene devices.
Nano Letters 11/2011; 12(1):161-6. · 13.20 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Use of random network carbon nanotube (CNT) transistors and their applications to complementary logic gates have been limited by several factors such as control of CNT density, existence of metallic CNTs producing a poor yield of devices, absence of stable n-dopant and control of precise position of the dopant, and absence of a scalable and cost-effective fabrication process. Here, we report a scalable and cost-effective fabrication of complementary logic gates by precisely positioning an air-stable n-type dopant, viologen, by inkjet printing on a separated semiconducting CNTs network. The obtained CNT transistors showed a high yield of nearly 100% with an on/off ratio of greater than 10(3) in an optimized channel length (∼9 μm). The n-doped semiconducting carbon nanotube transistors showed a nearly symmetric behavior in the on/off current and threshold voltage with p-type transistors. CMOS inverter, NAND, and NOR logic gates were integrated on a HfO2/Si substrate using the n/p transistor arrays. The gain of inverter is extraordinarily high, which is around 45, and NAND and NOR logic gates revealed excellent output on and off voltages. These series of whole processes were conducted under ambient conditions, which can be used for large-area and flexible thin film technology.
ACS Nano 03/2011; 5(3):2369-75. · 10.77 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The doping/dedoping mechanism of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with AuCl(3) has been investigated with regard to the roles of cations and anions. Contrary to the general belief that CNTs are p-doped through the reduction of cationic Au(3+) to Au(0), we observed that chlorine anions play a more important role than Au cations in doping. To estimate the effects of Cl and Au on CNTs, the CNT film was dedoped as a function of the annealing temperature (100-700 °C) under an Ar ambient and was confirmed by the sheet resistance change and the presence of a G-band in the Raman spectra. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis revealed that the doping level of the CNT film was strongly related to the amount of adsorbed chlorine atoms. Annealing at temperatures up to 200 °C did not change the amount of adsorbed Cl atoms on the CNTs, and the CNT film was stable under ambient conditions. Alternatively, Cl atoms started to dissociate from CNTs at 300 °C, and the stability of the film was degraded. Furthermore, the change in the amount of Cl atoms in CNTs was inversely proportional to the change in the sheet resistance. Our observations of the Cl adsorption, either directly or mediated by an Au precursor on the CNT surface, are congruent with the previous theoretical prediction.
ACS Nano 02/2011; 5(2):1236-42. · 10.77 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We propose bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide [(CF(3)SO(2))(2)N](-) (TFSI) as a transparent strong electron-withdrawing p-type dopant in carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The conventional p-dopant, AuCl(3), has several drawbacks, such as hygroscopic effect, formation of Au clusters, decrease in transmittance, and high cost in spite of the significant increase in conductivity. TFSI is converted from bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amine (TFSA) by accepting electrons from CNTs, subsequently losing a proton as a characteristic of a Brønsted acid, and has an inductive effect from atoms with high electronegativity, such as halogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. TFSI produced a similar improvement in conductivity to AuCl(3), while maintaining high thermal stability, and no appreciable change in transmittance with no cluster formation. The effectiveness of TFSI was compared with that of other derivatives.
ACS Nano 10/2010; 4(11):6998-7004. · 10.77 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We report that nitronium hexafluoroantimonate (NHFA) can be used as a strong p-type dopant on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). The diameter range of SWCNTs in this work ranged from 1.2 to 1.8 nm. The NHFA was dissolved in a mixed solution of tetramethylsilane/1,2-dichloroethane (1:1 by weight) with SWCNTs. The treated samples in liquid phase were characterized by UV–VIS–NIR absorption and Raman spectroscopies. We found that with increasing the NHFA concentration, the van Hove singularity-related transitions (, , and ) in the optical absorption spectra disappeared gradually and a new transition peak was clearly observed near 1.33 eV. G-band in the Raman spectra was upshifted to 1618 cm−1 from 1587 cm−1 of the pristine peak due to the phonon stiffening, an evidence of p-type doping. The sheet resistance of the SWCNT film was reduced up to 90%. After thermal annealing, the Raman spectra were recovered, similar to those of the pristine sample without any damage.
physica status solidi (b) 11/2009; 246(11‐12):2419 - 2422. · 1.32 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Nanodispersion of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been systematically investigated with the use of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) surfactant in deionized water. A high concentration of nanodispersed SWCNTs up to 0.08 mg/mL was achieved with introduction of an additional dispersant of PVP by optimizing surfactant concentration, sonication time, and centrifugation speed, which was crucial to obtaining a high concentration of SWCNTs in the supernatant solution. We also demonstrate that diameters of the nanodispersed nanotubes can be sorted out by controlling the centrifugation speed, and furthermore, the saturated SWCNT concentration was nearly constant, independent of the initial concentration at high centrifugation speed. Two dispersion states were identified depending on the centrifugation speed: (I) an intermediate mixed state of nanodispersion and macrodispersion and (II) nanodispersion state. This was verified by Raman spectroscopy, scanning probe microscopy, optical absorption spectroscopy, and photoluminescence measurements. The obtained SWCNT solution was stable up to about 10 days. Some aggregated SWCNT solution after a long period of time was fully recovered to initial state of dispersion after resonication for a few minutes. Our systematic study on high concentration nanodispersion of SWCNTs with selective diameters provides an opportunity to extend the application areas of high quality SWCNTs in large quantity.
06/2009;
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Soo Min Kim,
Jin Ho Jang,
Ki Kang Kim,
Hyeon Ki Park,
Jung Jun Bae,
Woo Jong Yu,
Il Ha Lee,
Gunn Kim,
Duong Dinh Loc,
Un Jeong Kim,
Eun-Hong Lee,
Hyeon-Jin Shin,
Jae-Young Choi,
Young Hee Lee
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ABSTRACT: Various viologens have been used to control the doping of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) via direct redox reactions. A new method of extracting neutral viologen (V(0)) was introduced using a biphase of toluene and viologen-dissolved water. A reductant of sodium borohydride transferred positively charged viologen (V(2+)) into V(0), where the reduced V(0) was separated into toluene with high separation yield. This separated V(0) solution was dropped on carbon nanotube transistors to investigate the doping effect of CNTs. With a viologen concentration of 3 mM, all the p-type CNT transistors were converted to n-type with improved on/off ratios. This was achieved by donating electrons spontaneously to CNTs from neutral V(0), leaving energetically stable V(2+) on the nanotube surface again. The doped CNTs were stable in water due to the presence of hydrophobic V(0) at the outermost CNT transistors, which may act as a protecting layer to prevent further oxidation from water.
Journal of the American Chemical Society 01/2009; 131(1):327-31. · 9.91 Impact Factor
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Seon-Mi Yoon,
Sung Jin Kim,
Hyeon-Jin Shin,
Anass Benayad,
Seong Jae Choi,
Ki Kang Kim, Soo Min Kim,
Yong Jin Park,
Gunn Kim,
Jae-Young Choi,
Young Hee Lee
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ABSTRACT: Chlorine oxoanions with the chlorine atom at different oxidation states were introduced in an attempt to systematically tailor the electronic structures of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). The degree of selective oxidation was controlled systematically by the different oxidation state of the chlorine oxoanion. Selective suppression of the metallic SWCNTs with a minimal effect on the semiconducting SWCNTs was observed at a high oxidation state. The adsorption behavior and charge transfer at a low oxidation state were in contrast to that observed at a high oxidation state. Density functional calculations demonstrated the chemisorption of chloro oxoanions at the low oxidation state and their physisorption at high oxidation states. These results concurred with the experimental observations from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The sheet resistance of the SWCNT film decreased significantly at high oxidation states, which was explained in terms of a p-doping phenomenon that is controlled by the oxidation state.
Journal of the American Chemical Society 03/2008; 130(8):2610-6. · 9.91 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Various electron-donating and -withdrawing groups in aromatic and aliphatic backbones of solvent have been introduced to tailor the electronic structures of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). In the case of solvent with a withdrawing group, electrons were extracted mainly from metallic SWCNTs, whereas small charge transfer was also observed in semiconducting SWCNTs. On the other hand, in the case of solvent with a donating group, electrons were donated to both metallic and semiconducting SWCNTs. This effect was less prominent in solvent with an aliphatic backbone than that with an aromatic backbone. The strong correlation between the sheet resistance and electronic structures of nanotubes is further discussed in conjunction with a modulation of Schottky barrier height.
Journal of the American Chemical Society 03/2008; 130(6):2062-6. · 9.91 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the biosynthetic enzyme of catecholamine, is synthesized specifically in catecholaminergic neurons. Thus, it is possible that neuronal cell type-specific expression of this gene is coordinately regulated. One of the neuron-specific transcription regulators, neuron-restrictive silencer factor (NRSF)/repressor element 1 (RE1) silencing transcription factor (REST), represses the expression of neuronal genes in non-neuronal cells. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms that control catecholaminergic neuronal expression of human TH, we initially characterized the 5' regulatory region. Previous studies have shown that a 3174 bp fragment of the human TH promoter confers specific expression to the reporter gene in dopaminergic neuron-like cell lines. Within this 5' regulatory region, three putative neuron-restrictive silencer elements (NRSE)/RE1 were identified, which bound NRSF/REST in a sequence-specific manner, as confirmed using EMSA and ChIP assays. In transient transfection assays, deletion or mutation of NRSE/RE1 elements led to a 7-fold increase in activity of the 3.2 kb TH promoter in human neural stem cells (NSCs), but had no major effects on differentiated neuron-like cells. Suppression of NRSF/REST functions with either the histone deacetylase inhibitor, trichostatin, or DN-NRSF induced TH promoter activity. Our data strongly suggest that NRSF/REST functions as a repressor of TH transcription in NSCs via a mechanism dependent on the TH NRSE/RE1 sites.
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 08/2006; 346(2):426-35. · 2.48 Impact Factor
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Hong-Zhang Geng,
Ki Kang,
Chulho Song,
Nguyen Thi Xuyen, Soo Min Kim,
Kyung Ah,
Dae Sik Lee,
Kay Hyeok An,
Young Sil Lee,
Youngkyu Chang,
Young Jun Lee,
Jae Young Choi,
Anass Benayad,
Young Hee Lee
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ABSTRACT: Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) dispersed with Nafion in a solvent mixture containing de-ionized water and 1-propanol (bisolvent) were sprayed on a poly(ethylene terephthalate) substrate to fabricate flexible transparent conducting films (TCFs). Different SWCNT-to-Nafion ratios were used to optimize the film performance of transparence and sheet resistance. The TCFs were then immersed in nitric acid. These steps resulted in p-type doping due to the presence of Nafion in the SWCNT network and de-doping (removal of doping effect) by the acid treatment. X-Ray photoelectron and Raman spectroscopy confirmed that the de-doping effect occurred with the partial removal of Nafion from the nanotube surface by the nitric acid treatment, which improved the film conductivity by a factor of $4 with negligible change in transmittance.
