Physicochemical processes in multiphase systems on metal surfaces containing nano-carbon: Segregation, dissolution, graphene nucleation, and growth
Annotatsiya
A carbon phase equilibria on the surface of metals during graphene nucleation and initial graphite growth is considered thermodynamically. Three phases are shown to be necessarily taken into account: C atoms dissolved in a metal substrate bulk, C atoms chemisorbed on the surface, and graphene (polycondensed carbon phase). Applicability of the Gibbs phase rule to this particular case is analyzed, with surface tension taken into account as an independent thermodynamic degree of freedom. A specific role of boundary atoms of graphene islands, which can be considered (with some limitations) as an independent quasi-1D phase is revealed.