1205.6531 (Kevin T. He et al.)

Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Study and Nanomanipulation of
Graphene-Coated Water on Mica    [PDF]

Kevin T. He, Joshua D. Wood, Gregory P. Doidge, Eric Pop, Joseph W. Lyding

We study interfacial water trapped between a sheet of graphene and a muscovite (mica) surface using Raman spectroscopy and ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (UHV-STM) at room temperature. We are able to image the graphene-water interface with atomic resolution, revealing a layered network of water trapped underneath the graphene. We identify water layer numbers with a carbon nanotube height reference. Under normal scanning conditions, the water structures remain stable. However, at greater electron energies, we are able to locally manipulate the water using the STM tip.

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1205.6531