Compositional and Structural Modifications by Ion Beam in Graphene Oxide for Radiation Detection Studies

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Radiation Physics

Background:

• Graphene oxide (GO) is a promising material with unique properties.
• Understanding its response to ion irradiation is crucial for advanced applications.
• Ion irradiation can induce significant structural and compositional modifications in GO.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the structural, compositional, and morphological changes in graphene oxide (GO) foils irradiated with various ions.
• To evaluate the potential of GO as a radiation detector and dosimeter.
• To characterize the formation of new carbon phases, such as GO quantum dots, under ion bombardment.

Main Methods:

• Irradiation of 10 μm thick GO foils with protons, helium, and oxygen ions at 3 MeV.
• Analysis of structural changes using X-ray diffraction.
• Compositional analysis via Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry and Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis.
• Morphological characterization using Transmission Electron Microscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy, and Scanning Electron Microscopy.

Main Results:

• Ion irradiation induced the formation of new phases, including reduced GO, GO quantum dots, graphitic nanofibers, carbon nanotubes, and amorphous carbon.
• A reduction in GO was observed, correlated with the atomic number of the implanted ions.
• GO quantum dots were formed, with their number increasing with the atomic number of the beam ion.
• Morphological alterations were observed across different microscopy techniques.

Conclusions:

• Graphene oxide foils exhibit significant structural and compositional modifications upon ion irradiation.
• The observed transformations suggest GO's potential for radiation detection and dosimetry applications.
• The formation and density of GO quantum dots are dependent on the type of ion and irradiation conditions.