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Switchable friction enabled by nanoscale self-assembly on graphene

Author

Listed:
  • Patrick Gallagher

    (Stanford University)

  • Menyoung Lee

    (Stanford University)

  • Francois Amet

    (Duke University
    Appalachian State University)

  • Petro Maksymovych

    (Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • Jun Wang

    (Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory)

  • Shuopei Wang

    (Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Xiaobo Lu

    (Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Guangyu Zhang

    (Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Kenji Watanabe

    (National Institute for Materials Science)

  • Takashi Taniguchi

    (National Institute for Materials Science)

  • David Goldhaber-Gordon

    (Stanford University)

Abstract

Graphene monolayers are known to display domains of anisotropic friction with twofold symmetry and anisotropy exceeding 200%. This anisotropy has been thought to originate from periodic nanoscale ripples in the graphene sheet, which enhance puckering around a sliding asperity to a degree determined by the sliding direction. Here we demonstrate that these frictional domains derive not from structural features in the graphene but from self-assembly of environmental adsorbates into a highly regular superlattice of stripes with period 4–6 nm. The stripes and resulting frictional domains appear on monolayer and multilayer graphene on a variety of substrates, as well as on exfoliated flakes of hexagonal boron nitride. We show that the stripe-superlattices can be reproducibly and reversibly manipulated with submicrometre precision using a scanning probe microscope, allowing us to create arbitrary arrangements of frictional domains within a single flake. Our results suggest a revised understanding of the anisotropic friction observed on graphene and bulk graphite in terms of adsorbates.

Suggested Citation

  • Patrick Gallagher & Menyoung Lee & Francois Amet & Petro Maksymovych & Jun Wang & Shuopei Wang & Xiaobo Lu & Guangyu Zhang & Kenji Watanabe & Takashi Taniguchi & David Goldhaber-Gordon, 2016. "Switchable friction enabled by nanoscale self-assembly on graphene," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-7, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms10745
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10745
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    Cited by:

    1. András Pálinkás & György Kálvin & Péter Vancsó & Konrád Kandrai & Márton Szendrő & Gergely Németh & Miklós Németh & Áron Pekker & József S. Pap & Péter Petrik & Katalin Kamarás & Levente Tapasztó & Pé, 2022. "The composition and structure of the ubiquitous hydrocarbon contamination on van der Waals materials," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.

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