An international research collaboration conducted jointly by the Istituto Officina dei Materiali (CNR-IOM) of the National Research Council in Trieste, the University of Trieste, and the Department of Materials Science of the University of Milano-Bicocca, together with the University of Vienna, has demonstrated a simple and innovative method to create a new category of materials. These materials combine the remarkable properties of single metal atoms with the robustness, flexibility, and versatility of graphene, offering potential applications in catalysis, spintronics, and electronic devices.
The results of the study have been published in the article entitled "Scalable bottom-up synthesis of Co-Ni–doped graphene" in Science Advances (Impact Factor 11.7, 2023 Journal Impact Factor, Journal Citation Reports, Clarivate Analytics, 2024). The method involves the controlled deposition of metal atoms, such as cobalt, during the formation of the graphene layer on a nickel surface. Some of these atoms become embedded in the carbon network of graphene, creating a new material with exceptional properties in terms of robustness, reactivity, and stability.
The NanoQlab research group, led by Prof. Cristiana Di Valentin, contributed to the study through ab-initio calculations.
Article reference
V. Chesnyak, D. Perilli, M. Panighel, A. Namar, A. Markevich, T. An Bui, A. Ugolotti, A. Farooq, M. Stredansky, C. Kofler, C. Cepek, G. Comelli, J. Kotakoski, C. Di Valentin, C. Africh. Scalable bottom-up synthesis of Co-Ni–doped graphene. Science Advances 10, 45 (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ado8956.