Graphite to diamond transition induced by photoelectric absorption of ultraviolet photons

The phase transition from graphite to diamond is an appealing object of study because of many fundamental and also, practical reasons. The out-of-plane distortions required for the transition are a good tool to understand the collective behaviour of layered materials (graphene, graphite) and the van...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Gómez De Castro, Ana Inés, Rheinstadter, Maikel, Clancy, Patrick, Castilla, Maribel, Isidro, Federico de, Larruquert, Juan, I, De Lis-Sanchez, Tomás, Britten, James, Cabero Piris, Mariona, Isidro Gómez, Federico P. de
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Repositorio:Docta Complutense
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/7984
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/7984
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:538.9
Multidisciplinary sciences
Física de materiales
Física del estado sólido
2211 Física del Estado Sólido
Descripción
Sumario:The phase transition from graphite to diamond is an appealing object of study because of many fundamental and also, practical reasons. The out-of-plane distortions required for the transition are a good tool to understand the collective behaviour of layered materials (graphene, graphite) and the van der Waals forces. As today, two basic processes have been successfully tested to drive this transition: strong shocks and high energy femtolaser excitation. They induce it by increasing either pressure or temperature on graphite. In this work, we report a third method consisting in the irradiation of graphite with ultraviolet photons of energies above 4.4 eV. We show high resolution electron microscopy images of pyrolytic carbon evidencing the dislocation of the superficial graphitic layers after irradiation and the formation of crystallite islands within them. Electron energy loss spectroscopy of the islands show that the sp(2) to sp(3) hybridation transition is a surface effect. High sensitivity X-ray diffraction experiments and Raman spectroscopy confirm the formation of diamond within the islands.