Graphene: It is all about the toppings

1/2 images Indium oxide on a graphene layer - To fully exploit the potential of the "wonder material" graphene, it has to be combined with other materials. A new study investigates what is important for this. Graphene consists of a single layer of carbon atoms. Exceptional electronic, thermal, mechanical and optical properties have made graphene one of the most studied materials at the moment. For many applications in electronics and energy technology, however, graphene must be combined with other materials: Since graphene is so thin, its properties drastically change when other materials are brought into direct contact with it. However, combining graphene with other materials at the molecular level is difficult: The way graphene interacts with other materials depends not only on which material you choose, but also on how these materials are brought into contact with the graphene. Rather than sticking a finished material layer to the graphene, the appropriate atoms are brought into contact with the graphene in such a way that they "grow" on the graphene in the desired crystal structure.