@article{Ta2018, 
author = {Huy Q. Ta and Liang Zhao and Wanjian Yin and Darius Pohl and Bernd Rellinghaus and Thomas Gemming and Barbara Trzebicka and Justinas Palisaitis and Gao Jing and Per O. Å. Persson and Zhongfan Liu and Alicja Bachmatiuk and Mark H. Rümmeli},
title = {Single Cr atom catalytic growth of graphene},
year = {2018},
journal = {Nano Research},
volume = {11},
number = {5},
pages = {2405-2411},
keywords = {graphene synthesis, single atom, in situ transmission electron microscope (TEM), electron driven catalysis, Cr},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.1007/s12274-017-1861-3},
doi = {10.1007/s12274-017-1861-3},
abstract = {Single atoms are the ultimate minimum size limit for catalysts. Graphene, as an exciting, ultimately thin (one atom thick) material can be imaged in a transmission electron microscope with relatively few imaging artefacts. Here, we directly observe the behavior of single Cr atoms in graphene mono- and di-vacancies and, more importantly, at graphene edges. Similar studies at graphene edges with other elemental atoms, with the exception of Fe, show catalytic etching of graphene. Fe atoms have been shown to both etch and grow graphene. In contrast, Cr atoms are only observed to induce graphene growth. Complementary theoretical calculations illuminate the differences between Fe and Cr, and confirm single Cr atoms as superior catalysts for sp2 carbon growth.}
}