Master of Science / Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering / Gurpreet Singh / Graphene because of its unique electrical (electron mobility = 2 x 10[superscript]5 cm[superscript]2 V[superscript]-1 s[superscript]-1), mechanical (E = 1 TPa), optical, thermal and chemical properties has generated a lot of interest among the research community in recent years. One of the most notable methods of synthesizing large area pristine graphene sheets, which are several 100 micrometers wide, is through thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD). But very little has been known about the effects of heating and cooling rate of the substrate on the quality of graphene produced. Hence we varied various growth parameters to understand the process of graphene growth on Cu and Ni substrates when subjected to fast heating and quenching. This allowed optimization of the CVD process to achieve large-area graphene films consistently and repeatedly. This work provides new insights on synthesis of graphene at atmospheric pressures and the effect of (a) fast heating and fast cooling of substrates, (b) catalyst type and (c) gas flow rates on quality of the graphene produced. A carbon nanotube CVD furnace was restored and modified to accommodate graphene synthesis. We started with synthesis of graphene on Cu substrate following procedures already available in the literature (heating rate ~ 15 °C/min and cooling rate ~ 5 °C/min; total processing time 7 hours). This provided a good reference point for the particular furnace and the test setup. The best results were obtained for 15 minutes of growth at a CH4:H2 ratio of 1:30 at 950 °C. SEM images showed full coverage of the substrate by few layer graphene (FLG), which was indicated by the relatively high I[subscript]2D/I[subscript]G ratio of 0.44. The furnace was further modified to facilitate fast cooling (~4 °C/sec) of substrate while still being in inert atmosphere (Argon). The effect of growth time and concentration of CH[subscript]4 was studied for this modified procedure (at H[subscript]2 flow rate of 300 SCCM). SEM images showed full coverage for a CH[subscript]4 flow rate of 10 SCCM in as little as 6 minutes of growth time. This coupled with the fast cooling cycle effectively reduced the overall time of graphene synthesis by 7 times. The I[subscript]2D/I[subscript]G ratio in Raman spectrum was 0.4 indicating that the quality of graphene synthesized was similar to that obtained in conventional CVD. This modification also facilitated introduction of catalyst substrate after the furnace has reached growth temperature (fast heating ~8 °C/sec). Hence, the overall time required for graphene synthesis was reduced to ~6 % (30 minutes) when compared to the traditional procedure. SEM images showed formation of high concentration few layer graphene islands. This was attributed to the impurities on the catalyst surface, which in the traditional procedure would have been etched away during the long heating period. The optimum process parameters were 30 minutes of growth with 20 SCCM of CH[subscript]4 and 300 SCCM of H[subscript]2 at 950 °C. The Raman spectrum for this condition showed a relatively high I[subscript]2D/I[subscript]G ratio of 0.66. We also studied the effect of Ni as a catalyst. Similar to Cu, for Ni also, traditional procedure found in the literature was used to optimize the graphene growth for this particular furnace. Best results were obtained for 10 minutes of growth time with 120 SCCM of CH[subscript]4 in 300 SCCM of H[subscript]2 at 950 °C. SEM images showed large grain growth (~50 μm) with full coverage. The Raman spectrum showed formation of bi-layer graphene with a I[subscript]2D/I[subscript]G ratio of 1.03. Later the effect of growth time and concentration of the hydrocarbon precursor for Ni substrate subjected to fast heating (~ 8 °C/sec) was studied. It was found that because the process of graphene synthesis on Ni is by segregation, growth period or gas flow rate had little effect on the quality and size of the graphene sheets because of the presence of impurities on the substrate. This procedure yielded multilayer graphite instead of graphene under all conditions. Future work will involve study of changing several other parameters like type of hydrocarbon precursor and pressure in the chamber for graphene synthesis. Also various other substrates like Cu or Ni based alloys will be studied to identify the behavior of graphene growth using this novel procedure.

Taking into account the technological demand for the controlled preparation of atomically precise graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with well-defined properties, the present thesis is focused on the investigation of the role of the underlying metal substrate in the process of building GNRs using bottom-up strategy and on the changes in the electronic structure of GNRs induced by the GNR-metal interaction. The combination of surface sensitive synchrotron-radiation-based spectroscopic techniques and scanning tunneling microscopy with in situ sample preparation allowed to trace evolution of the structural and electronic properties of the investigated systems. Significant impact of the substrate activity on the growth dynamics of armchair GNRs of width N = 7 (7-AGNRs) prepared on inert Au(111) and active Cu(111) was demonstrated. It was shown that unlike inert Au(111) substrate, the mechanism of GNRs formation on Ag(111) and Cu(111) includes the formation of organometallic intermediates based on the carbon-metal-carbon bonds. Experiments performed on Cu(111) and Cu(110), showed that a change of the balance between molecular diffusion and intermolecular interaction significantly affects the on-surface reaction mechanism making it impossible to grow GNRs on Cu(110). It was demonstrated that deposition of metals on spatially aligned GNRs prepared on stepped Au(788) substrate allows to investigate GNR-metal interaction using angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. In particular intercalation of one monolayer of copper beneath 7-AGNRs leads to significant electron injection into the nanoribbons, indicating that charge doping by metal contacts must be taken into account when designing GNR/electrode systems. Alloying of intercalated copper with gold substrate upon post-annealing at 200°C leads to a recovery of the initial position of GNR-related bands with respect to the Fermi level, thus proving tunability of the induced n-doping. Contrary, changes in the electronic structure of 7-AGNRs induced by the deposition of Li are not reversible.  It is demonstrated that via lithium doping 7-AGNRs can be transformed from a semiconductor into a metal state due to the partial filling of the conduction band. The band gap of Li-doped GNRs is reduced and the effective mass of the conduction band carriers is increased.

<p>Graphene, first isolated in 2004 and the subject of the 2010 Nobel Prize in physics, has generated a tremendous amount of research interest in recent years due to its incredible mechanical and electrical properties. However, difficulties in large-scale production and low as-prepared surface area have hindered commercial applications. In this dissertation, a new material is described incorporating the superior electrical properties of graphene edge planes into the high surface area framework of carbon nanotube forests using a scalable and reproducible technology.</p><p>The objectives of this research were to investigate the growth parameters and mechanisms of a graphene-carbon nanotube hybrid nanomaterial termed “graphenated carbon nanotubes” (g-CNTs), examine the applicability of g-CNT materials for applications in electrochemical capacitors (supercapacitors) and cold-cathode field emission sources, and determine materials characteristics responsible for the superior performance of g-CNTs in these applications. The growth kinetics of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), grown by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), was studied in order to understand the fundamental mechanisms governing the PECVD reaction process. Activation energies and diffusivities were determined for key reaction steps and a growth model was developed in response to these findings. Differences in the reaction kinetics between CNTs grown on single-crystal silicon and polysilicon were studied to aid in the incorporation of CNTs into microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices. To understand processing-property relationships for g-CNT materials, a Design of Experiments (DOE) analysis was performed for the purpose of determining the importance of various input parameters on the growth of g-CNTs, finding that varying temperature alone allows the resultant material to transition from CNTs to g-CNTs and finally carbon nanosheets (CNSs): vertically oriented sheets of few-layered graphene. In addition, a phenomenological model was developed for g-CNTs. By studying variations of graphene-CNT hybrid nanomaterials by Raman spectroscopy, a linear trend was discovered between their mean crystallite size and electrochemical capacitance. Finally, a new method for the calculation of nanomaterial surface area, more accurate than the standard BET technique, was created based on atomic layer deposition (ALD) of titanium oxide (TiO2).</p> / Dissertation

There is a increasing emphasis in today’s world to use environmental friendly solutions for tribological and lubrication purposes. Use of water as a lubricant presents a cost effective and easy method of bio friendly lubrication. But, as water has low viscosity, it is necessary that the materials used in water lubricated contacts perform exceedingly well in boundary lubricated conditions. Polymer Based Materials (PBMs), are one such group of materials which have been proven to perform well in such conditions. In particular, Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) has been extensively used in water lubricated contacts. But, PBMs still suffer from wear and related problems and there is room for improvement. Various methods have been tried with mixed results to improve the qualities of polymers and consequently their performance in water lubricated contacts. One such method is by inclusion of fillers. Conventionally, micron sized fillers have been used to form composites with a polymer resulting in materials with better properties. Recently, nanometer sized reinforcements have been attracting more attention due to their unique mechanical and tribological properties. Combining micrometer and nanometer sized filler in a polymer composite could help form materials with excellent properties. Such composites would be termed as a hybrid material. Therefore, the aim of this project and thesis is to experimentally investigate the influence and interaction of micro and nano carbon-based fillers on tribological behaviour of UHMWPE composites and provide further understanding of the mechanisms involved.

Nous avons mené une étude expérimentale du bruit de grenaille quantique dans une mono-couche de graphène. La conductance et l'effet Hall quantique ont été également examinés. Le modèle théorique, décrivant la conductance et le bruit quantique dans du graphène idéal (balistique) a été proposé par Tworzydlo et al., 2006. Dans du graphène diffusif, plus facilement réalisable expérimentalement, le bruit de grenaille a été étudié numériquement par plusieurs auteurs (San-Jose et al., 2007, Lewenkopf et al., 2008, Logoteta et al., 2013). Les conclusions des premiers travaux expérimentaux (DiCarlo et al., 2008 and Danneau et al., 2008) sur ce sujet n'en ont pas permis une compréhension suffisamment approfondi et des études complémentaires sont nécessaires. Dans notre expérience nous avons tenté de réduire au maximum les contributions du système de mesure sur le signal détecté en effectuant une mesure du bruit en tension quatre points et en utilisant la détection en cross-corrélation. En plus, notre système de mesure inclut des amplificateurs bas bruit cryogéniques faits maison combinés avec des filtres passe-bande alors que notre couche de graphène contient une constriction au centre. n utilisant les résultats des mesures de la conductance et de l'effet Hall quantique nous avons déterminé le libre parcours moyen dans notre échantillon et conclu qu'il est dans le régime diffusif. Les valeurs du facteur de Fano que nous avons extraites sont en bon accord avec les simulations pour ce régime, un pic au point de Dirac prévu par Lewenkopf et al. a été observé. D'autre part, nos résultats sont compatibles avec ceux de Danneau et al. and DiCarlo et al. / We have conducted an experimental study of the quantum shot noise in a mono-layer graphene device. Conductance of the device and the quantum Hall effect were also investigated. A theoretical model, describing conductance and quantum shot noise in ideal (ballistic) graphene was proposed by Tworzydlo et al., 2006. In diffusive graphene, that is much easier achievable experimentally, shot noise was investigated numerically by several authors (San-Jose et al., 2007, Lewenkopf et al., 2008, Logoteta et al., 2013). Conclusions of the first experimental works (DiCarlo et al., 2008 and Danneau et al., 2008), addressing this problem, didn’t lead to an enough broad understanding of it and a further investigation was required. In our experiment we intended to maximally reduce the contributions of the measurement system to the detected signal by performing four-point voltage noise measurement as well as by using cross-correlation detection. In addition to that, our measurement system include home-made cryogenic low-noise amplifiers combined with band-pass filters, while our experimental device carries a constriction in the center of graphene layer and side-gates are used instead of back-gate. First, using the results of the conductance and of the quantum Hall effect measurements we determined the mean free path in our sample and concluded that it was in diffusive regime. The extracted values of the Fano factor show a good agreement with the above-mentioned simulations for this regime, in particular, the peak at Dirac point, predicted by Lewenkopf et al., was observed. Moreover our results are consistent with those of Danneau et al. and DiCarlo et al.

Cette étude de la fonctionnalisation de graphène se base principalement sur la monocouche de graphène épitaxiée sur SiC. Les propriétés électroniques, structurales et les compositions chimiques du graphène fonctionnalisé sont étudiées. L'incorporation d'azote dans le graphène réalisée par les procédures à base de plasma montre un décalage de niveaux inoccupés du graphène vers EF , obtenue par les analyses spectroscopie de photoémission inverse en résolution angulaire. Ce dopage-n est attribué à la présence de graphitique-N. De plus, la configuration des espèces de N substitués dans le graphène peut être contrôlée efficacement par l'énergie, les espèces d'azote incidentes, et l'épaisseur du graphène de départ. L'hydrogénation de la couche tampon de graphène (BLG) à température variante sature les liaisons pendantes de Si de l'interface différemment, soit par la formation de nouvelles liaisons C-Si à température ambiente, soit par les hydrogènes intercalés. Le BLG devient fortement-isolant dans le premier cas, et devient une monocouche de graphène quasi-autoportante (QFSG) dans le second, permettant un nouveau concept de fabrication des dispositifs à base de graphène sur SiC. La réaction/couplage entre des molécules pi-conjugué et les graphène vierge ou fonctionnalisé est aussi étudiée. Les états inoccupés des molécules à base de perylene sont légèrement modiffiées sur le graphène dopé N à cause d'un renforcement de transfert de charge. Des réactions chimiques entre les molécules perylenes et le graphène sont observées aprés l'exposition aux électrons de basse énergie. En résumé, cette étude permettra une meilleure maîtrise des propriétés des matériaux 2D comme le graphène. / In order to promote 2D materials like graphene to their numerous applications, new methodsaltering their electronic and chemical properties have to be mastered. In this thesis, theprocesses of chemical doping and hydrogenation of monolayer graphene grown on SiC are investigated. Nitrogen atoms are successfully substituted in the graphene lattice using plasma-basedmethods. The bonding configurations of the incorporated N can be controlled via the nature and energy of exposing species and the thickness of the pristine graphene. An n-type doping, revealed by angle-resolved inverse photoemission spectroscopy (ARIPES), is found in most N-doped graphene and is assigned to the presence of graphitic-N. Hydrogenations of the buffer layer of graphene (BLG) on SiC at ambient or high temperatures saturate the remaining Si dangling bonds at BLG/SiC interface in two different ways, either by inducing additional C-Si bonds or by H intercalation. This results in 2D materials with distinct characters, an insulating, graphane-like H-BLG or a quasi-free-standing graphene, which may be used as a new concept for the engineering of graphene-based devices. The interactions between pi-conjugated molecules and the functionalized graphene are also investigated. The unoccupied states of molecules are altered by the presence of incorporated N, but the degradation of molecules due to low-energy electron exposure seems not enhanced by the doping nitrogen under the studied conditions. Nevertheless, the functionalization of graphene is demonstrated and its electronic and chemical properties are carefully studied, which should help to faster further applications employing functionalized graphene.

The knowledge on the conformations of amino acids is essential to understand the biochemical behaviors and physical properties of proteins. Comprehensive computational study is focused to understand the conformational landscape of three aromatic amino acids (AAAs): tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine. Three different density functionals (B3LYP, M06-2X and wB97X-D) were used with two basis sets of 6-31G(d) and 6-31+G(d,p) for geometry optimizations of the conformers of AAAs followed by the vibrational frequencies. The goal was to identify the right choice of density functional theory (DFT) level for conformational analysis of amino acids by comparing the computational data against the available experimental results. Calculated infrared (IR) frequency values indicated that wB97X-D/6-31+G(d,p) level is less favorable than other DFT levels in case of O-H and N-H stretching frequencies for the conformers of AAAs. The C=O stretching frequencies at different computational levels were in good agreement with the experimental results. Interactions of AAAs (tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine) and two cyclic amino acids (histidine and proline) individually with two finite-sized graphene sheets (C62H20 and C186H36) were explored using M06-2X/6-31G(d) level. Computational investigations of the binding of amino acids with graphene provide knowledge for designing of new graphene-based biological/biocompatible materials. Selected conformers for each amino acid with different orientations on the surface of graphene were examined. The purpose of computational study on graphene-amino acids interactions was to identify the preferred conformer of amino acid to bind on graphene as well as to find the influence of amino acid binding on the band gap of graphene. Different conformers of AAAs generally prefer parallel orientation through π-π interactions to bind with graphene. However, bent orientation is more preferred over parallel to bind on the surface of graphene in case of conformer having relative energy approximately equal to 5 kcal/mol for all three AAAs. Histidine generally exhibits higher binding affinity than proline to form complex with graphene. The binding energies in the aqueous medium were slightly lower than those obtained in the gas phase with some exceptions. The adsorption of amino acids did not affect the band gap of graphene.

The thesis comprises the two parts in each chapter: the first part focuses on the development and characterization of polyimide (PI) based composite coatings on a steel substrate. In order to improve the tribological performance of polyimide coatings, the fillers i.e. multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and Graphene (GP) were added into PI and conducted friction test at elevated temperatures ranging from room temperature (RT) to 200°C. Also, the influence of fillers (MWCNTs and GP) materials into PI coatings surface, mechanical and tribological properties of polyimide composites coatings are measured. The addition of MWCNTs and GP reduces the friction coefficient as well as wear volume at elevated temperatures 50°C, 100°C and sometimes at 150°C. These temperatures play a vital role to form a lubrication layer in the contact interfaces at certain load and operating conditions. In these cases, three weight percentage (3wt%) of MWCNTs and GP into polyimide composites showed low friction and high wear-resistant as compared to other PI composites. Besides, by adding these two fillers into pure PI improved the mechanical properties such as micro-hardness and nanoindentation. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to observe the wear mechanism of the composite coatings worn surfaces. The consequences expose that the fatigue wear mechanisms were predominant in the worn surfaces. Moreover, the thermal study of the polyimide composite coatings was conducted using thermal gravimetric (TG) to analyze the behavior of composite coatings at high temperatures. The results showed that the PI coatings with MWCNTs and GP have high thermal stability at 60% sample residue. In the second part-an epoxy coatings with filler materials e.g. hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and expanded graphite (EG) were made and conducted their tribological i.e. friction coefficient and wear performance. Also the perfect mixing ratio 4:1 (80 wt% base epoxy matrix and 20 wt% curing agent) was determined on the basis of stoichiometric ratio to cure the epoxy accurately. Therefore, seven samples with a various weight percentage (wt%) were prepared i.e. pure epoxy, epoxy with 5wt%, 10wt%, 15wt% of h-BN and EG. All the prepared samples ran at two different loading 2 N and 4 N conditions with 5 Hz frequency, 300 rpm and 30 minutes duration. The epoxy with h-BN showed low friction as compared to EG where EG has better wear-resistant behavior than h-BN.

Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were used to reinforce wood polymer composites (WPCs) in order to achieve multifunctionality. Multifunctionality could be achieved through the GNPs because of their excellent mechanical and electrical properties. The research consists of two parts: HDPE/GNP/WF composites and LLDPE/GNP composites. The HDPE part is a continuation of previous work. Here further mechanical characterisation was done (impact testing), impurities in the composites were identified, the manufacturing process that results in damaged wood particles was investigated and the Young's modulus of the composites were modeled. The impact strength was improved due to the addition of GNPs. WF composites exhibited more brittle behaviour and therefore a lower impact strength. The impurities were identified as some form of nanoclay introduced during the extrusion process. The particles were damaged during the extrusion processes. Little can be done about this as different shear configurations and/or screw speeds will result in a poor GNP dispersion and distribution. Modeling of the Young's modulus was the most accurate through applying the laminate analogy and rule of thumbs. The rule of mixtures does not represent the composites which have a preferred orientation. During the previous work done, it was found that the HDPE composite were not electrically conductive and therefore not multifunctional. The work was therefore continued with LLDPE and GNPs. LLDPE has more branches and is less dense, resulting in potential opportunities for the GNPs to form a network through the polymer. This could lead to a better conductivity. Mechanical and electrical characterisation was done of the LLDPE/GNP composites. Here multifunctionality could also not be achieved as the composites were highly electrically resistant. Mechanical testing indicated that the GNPs significantly enhance the LLDPE matrix. Here an increase of up to 170% could be seen in tensile modulus and an increase of 46% in tensile strength. Furthermore the GNPs improved the flexural properties and increase the resistance to viscoplastic deformation during residual strain testing. Overall the GNPs improve the mechanical properties significantly, but at 10wt.% GNP contents, multifunctionality could still not be achieved.

[pt] Neste trabalho foram obtidos filmes de grafeno usando um precursor sólido, a Trifenilfosfina, num processo de deposição química na fase vapor em alto vácuo (HVCVD). A microscopia eletrônica de Varredura permitiu observar a presença de pequenas regiões inomogêneas na superfície das amostras crescidas. Estas regiões foram observadas na microscopia antes e após o processo de transferência da folha de cobre para o substrato de silício oxidado. Medidas realizadas por XPS permitiram comprovar a incorporação de fósforo no filme crescido. A espectroscopia Raman foi usada para determinar a temperatura de trabalho adequada no sistema de crescimento. A presença de grafeno foi confirmada em todas as amostras, mas observou-se que, em geral, a quantidade de defeitos nas amostras cresceu com o aumento da massa do precursor utilizado no crescimento. Os resultados obtidos são discutidos à luz de recentes trabalhos teóricos que tratam do uso da técnica Raman no estudo de defeitos em grafeno. / [en] In this work graphene films were obtained using a solid precursor, Triphenylphosphine, by chemical vapor deposition in high vacuum (HVCVD). Scanning electron microscopy allowed to observe the presence of small inhomogeneus regions on the surface of the grown samples. These regions were observed in the microscopy before and after the transfer process from the copper foil to silicon oxidized wafer. XPS measurements checked the incorporation of phosphorus in the film grown. Raman spectroscopy was used to determine the suitable working temperature in the growth system. The presence of graphene was confirmed in all samples, but it was observed that in general, the amount of defects in the samples increased with increasing the mass of the precursor used in growth. The results are discussed in light of recent theoretical works that address the use of Raman technique in the study of defects in graphene.