Lateral Non-covalent Clamping of Graphene at the Edges Using a Lipid Scaffold

Developing a clean handling and transfer process, capable of preserving the integrity of two-dimensional materials, is still a challenge. Here, we present a flexible, dynamic, and lipid-based scaffold that clamps graphene at the edges providing a practical, simple, and clean graphene manipulation and transfer method. Lipid films with different surface pressures are deposited at the air/copper-etchant interface immediately after placing the graphene samples. We show that at surface pressures above 30 mN/m, the lateral support prevents graphene movement and cracking during all etching and transfer. The method provides new insights into the handling of graphene and can yield efficient, sensitive, and clean graphene-based devices.