In 2016 alone, an estimated 2.1 billion individuals around the world owned their own smartphones, and this number is expected to steadfastly increase to up to 2.87 billion users by the year 20201.
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As smartphone users continue to increase their reliance on the various tools and apps that these devices offer, the total increased use of such devices also causes for an increase in the possible damage that is accrued to them. In fact, it is estimated that 1/3 of people will ultimately lose or damage their phones, and one of the most popular damages includes the accident-prone screen of the smartphone that often becomes dented, scratched or broken2.
To address this pressing issue, a group of Researchers led by Dr. Elton Santos at the Queen’s University School of Mathematics and Physics located in Belfast, Northern Ireland, have developed a material comprised of multiple low-dimensional semiconducting molecules that could eliminate the cracked device epidemic. In their design, the Researchers investigated the C60 molecule and how its possible interactions when placed on top of a layer of graphene, both with and without the addition of a substrate, could enhance the van der Waals interactions of the material.
In the C60 molecule, 60 carbon atoms are joined together to form a spherical shape that is referred to as a buckminsterfullerene, or “bucky-ball,” as it closely resembles the appearance of a soccer ball. As a well established low-dimensional material that has been used in various electronic devices, such as organic solar cells, the C60 molecule is capable of readily accepting six additional electrons that can enter its lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMOs)3. As C60 is well known for its ability to maintain its superconductivity at particularly high temperatures, graphene, a similar two-dimensional material, is also known for its phenomenal electron mobilities that are even seen at room temperatures. The interfacing of these two extraordinary structures has been of particular interest for researchers, as the charge transfer between C60 and graphene has been shown to increase their functional capabilities4.
Through a series of density functional theory (DFT) calculations, as well as transmission electron microscopy and electronic transport experiments conducted at both room and cryogenic temperatures, the Researchers were able to fully understand the extent of the magnitude and charge transfer that occurred in both the C60/graphene and C60/graphene/h-BN models4. From their results, the team of Queens Researchers found that the combination of C60 with this graphene/h-BN layered material produced a unique technology that could be applied to any smart device.The intensely spherical shape of the C60 molecule causes for several possible molecular arrangements to occur when it is placed onto graphene, which can therefore affect the way in which the energy and charge states of these materials interact with each other. Of the nine possible molecular arrangements that are generated following the interaction between C60 and graphene, the most favorable, in terms of its van der Waals dispersion forces, is the hexagon/bridge alignment4. The favorability of this structure was true when C60 was suspended onto a single layer of graphene, as well as when C60 was suspended onto a single layer of graphene that was grown on and supported by a layer of hexagonal boron nitrate (h-BN).
With the h-BN layer providing stability to the structure, graphene adding an additional electronic capability and charge transfer and C60 transforming solar energy to electricity, this multi-layered material brings an exciting new possibility for electronic devices, as well as other applications that utilize charge transfer interactions between different materials. Traditional smartphones typically utilize a display glass that is comprised of an alumina-silicate formulation, however, this newly developed material resembles the physical properties of silicon with far greater advantages. By increasing the flexibility, lightweight nature and overall chemical stability of the smartphone screen, the C60/graphene/h-BN layer could eliminate the often high costs associated with replacing current more fragile smartphone devices.
References:
- “Number of smartphone users worldwide from 2014 to 2020 (in billions)” – Statista
- “Plaxo Mobile Trends Study” – Plaxo
- “Carbon Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Structure, Properties and Applications” R. Mathur, 2016, CRC Press.
- “Molecular Arrangement and Charge Transfer in C60/Graphene Heterostructures” C. Ojeda-Aristizabal, E. Santos, et al. ACS Nano. (2017). DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.7b00551.
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