DataVXACS Applied Materials & InterfacesPaper
journal article·2026-02-11Open access

Realizing Scalable Chemical Vapor Deposition of Monolayer Graphene Films on Iron with Concurrent Surface Hardening by In Situ Observations

Bernhard Fickl, Werner Artner, Daniel Matulka, Jakob Rath, Martin Nastran, Markus Hofer, Raoul Blume, Michael Hävecker, Alexander Kirnbauer, Florian Fahrnberger, Herbert Hutter, Dengsong Zhang, Paul H. Mayrhofer, Axel Knop-Gericke, Beatriz Roldan Cuenya, Robert Schlögl, Christian Dipolt, Dominik Eder, Bernhard C. Bayer

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces· Volume 18· Issue 5
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Source abstract

Abstract

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide Graphene has been suggested as an ultimately thin functional coating for metallurgical alloys, such as steels. However, even on pure iron (Fe), the parent phase of steels, the growth of high quality graphene films remains largely elusive to date. We here report scalable chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of high quality monolayer graphene films on Fe substrates. To achieve this, we here elucidate the mechanisms of graphene growth on Fe using complementary in situ X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and in situ near ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (NAP XPS) during our scalable CVD conditions. As key factors that set Fe apart from other common graphene CVD catalyst supports such as Ni or Cu, we identify that for Fe (i) carbothermal reduction of persistent Fe-oxides and (ii) kinetic balancing of carbon uptake into the Fe during CVD near the Fe–C eutectoid because of the complex multiphased Fe–C phase diagram are critical. Additionally, we establish that the carbon uptake into the Fe during graphene CVD is not only important in terms of growth mechanism but can also be advantageously utilized for concurrent surface hardening of the Fe during the graphene CVD process, akin to carburization/case hardening. Our work thereby forms a framework for controlled and scalable high-quality monolayer graphene film CVD on Fe including the introduction of concurrent surface hardening during graphene CVD.
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Research context

Metals & alloysNanomaterialsCatalysis & surfacesMaterials processing

OpenAlex topics: Graphene research and applications · Carbon Nanotubes in Composites · Chemical and Physical Properties of Materials

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Institute of Materials Chemistry, Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien), Getreidemarkt 9, 1060 Vienna, Austria

X-Ray Center, Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien), Getreidemarkt 9, 1060 Vienna, Austria

Analytical Instrumentation Center (AIC), Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien), Lehargasse 6, 1060 Vienna, Austria

Max-Planck-Institut für Chemische Energiekonversion, Postfach 101365, Mülheim an der Ruhr 45413, Germany

Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck Gesellschaft, Faradayweg 4-6, 14195 Berlin, Germany

Institute of Materials Science and Technology, Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien), Getreidemarkt 9, 1060 Vienna, Austria

Institute of Chemical Technologies and Analytics, Technische Universität Wien (TU Wien), Getreidemarkt 9, 1060 Vienna, Austria

International Joint Laboratory of Catalytic Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel, Innovation Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Research Center of Nanoscience and Technology, Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Shanghai University, No. 99 Shangda Road, Shanghai 200444, China

Rübig GmbH & Co. KG, Schafwiesenstraße 56, 4600 Wels, Austria

Funding

HORIZON EUROPE European Research Council · ?sterreichische Forschungsf?rderungsgesellschaft

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