Defect in Graphene May Present Bouquet of Possibilities From
NIST Tech Beat: May 24, 2011 Contact: Mark Esser A class of
decorative, flower-like defects in the nanomaterial graphene
could have potentially important effects on the material's
already unique electrical and mechanical properties, according
to researchers at the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) and Georgia Tech. In a new paper,* the team
for the first time describes a family of seven defects that
could occur naturally or be induced to occur in graphene, one of
which already has been observed. Graphene is renowned for its
strength and conductivity, both of which are a result of its
structure. For the most part, graphene is a featureless plane of
carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice. According to NIST
Fellow Joseph Stroscio, defects can appear due to the movement
of the carbon atoms at high temperatures when producing graphene
by heating silicon carbide under ultrahigh vacuum. The easiest,
i.e. requiring the least amount