Ultraclean monolayer amorphous carbon yields a high-precision proton beam
Huihui Lin1,2, Jian Jiang3,4, Yanxin Dou5,6
1Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Nature Nanotechnology
|July 28, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed a rapid, industry-compatible method to synthesize ultraclean monolayer amorphous carbon (UC-MAC). This material
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Surface Science
Background:
- Monolayer amorphous carbon (MAC) possesses ångström-scale polygonal rings that enhance electronic and mechanical properties.
- Unique ångström pores in MAC enable precise subatomic species separation for catalysis, energy, and medicine.
- Lack of industrial-scale synthesis for intrinsic MAC has hindered its technological adoption compared to graphene and bulk amorphous materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an industry-compatible synthesis method for producing wafer-scale ultraclean MAC (UC-MAC).
- To characterize the intrinsic electronic properties and membrane functionalities of UC-MAC.
- To evaluate UC-MAC's performance in generating high-precision proton beams for applications like proton therapy.
Main Methods:
- An industry-compatible disorder-to-disorder synthesis approach was employed.
- Wafer-scale UC-MAC was produced within seconds, featuring optimized ångström polygons and nanosized pores.
- Atomic-scale characterization techniques were used to analyze the intrinsic electronic properties of UC-MAC.
Main Results:
- Wafer-scale UC-MAC was synthesized rapidly (
- UC-MAC exhibits intrinsic electronic properties suitable for atomic-scale characterization.
- UC-MAC functions as an ångström-scale membrane, efficiently splitting H2+ ions into a high-precision proton beam with significantly reduced scattering events compared to graphene and commercial carbon films.
Conclusions:
- The developed disorder-to-disorder synthesis is industry-compatible and enables rapid production of high-quality UC-MAC.
- UC-MAC's unique properties, including its ångström pores and lack of contamination, make it ideal for precise subatomic separation and advanced membrane applications.
- UC-MAC shows significant potential for applications requiring high-precision proton beams, such as in proton therapy, due to its superior performance in beam sharpening and current modulation.
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