Size-dependent mobility of gold nano-clusters during growth on chemically modified graphene

Bell, Gavin R. and Dawson, Peter M. and Pandey, Priyanka A. and Wilson, Neil R. and Mulheran, Paul (2014) Size-dependent mobility of gold nano-clusters during growth on chemically modified graphene. Materials, 2 (1). 012109. ISSN 2166-532X (https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4862696)

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Abstract

Gold nano-clusters were grown on chemically modified graphene by direct sputter deposition. Transmission electron microscopy of the nano-clusters on these electron-transparent substrates reveals an unusual bimodal island size distribution (ISD). A kinetic Monte Carlo model of growth incorporating a size-dependent cluster mobility rule uniquely reproduces the bimodal ISD, providing strong evidence for the mobility of large clusters during surface growth. The cluster mobility exponent of-5/3 is consistent with cluster motion via one-dimensional diffusion of gold atoms around the edges of the nano-clusters.

ORCID iDs

Bell, Gavin R., Dawson, Peter M., Pandey, Priyanka A., Wilson, Neil R. and Mulheran, Paul ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9469-8010;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)