Issue 30, 2018

High-throughput optical thickness and size characterization of 2D materials

Abstract

We describe a method using simple optical microscopy and image processing that simultaneously characterizes thousands of nanosheets in a sample area on the order of 1 mm2. Including data acquisition and processing, both the number of atomic layers and the lateral sizes of all sheets can be obtained within a few hours—approximately 100 times faster than with previous methods, such as atomic force microscopy. This is achieved by normalizing the optical image based on substrate brightness, which eliminates inhomogeneities usually limiting optical techniques. Ultimately, the method enables robust statistical analysis of populations of nanosheet materials. We demonstrate the utility of this method by examining fractions made from a sample of graphene oxide (GO) made using an emulsion-based method. Beyond providing the morphological composition of the samples, the reported method is sensitive enough to provide information about the oxidation level of a population of GO sheets and, correspondingly, optical constants of the material.

Graphical abstract: High-throughput optical thickness and size characterization of 2D materials

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Mar 2018
Accepted
10 Apr 2018
First published
04 May 2018

Nanoscale, 2018,10, 14441-14447

Author version available

High-throughput optical thickness and size characterization of 2D materials

W. W. Dickinson, H. V. Kumar, D. H. Adamson and H. C. Schniepp, Nanoscale, 2018, 10, 14441 DOI: 10.1039/C8NR01725E

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements