Structural and compositional modification of graphene oxide by means of medium and heavy ion implantation

Graphene and its allotropes belong to the new generation of materials. Due to their extraordinary electrical, mechanical and other properties, their application possibilities are vast. In this work, a study on interactions of graphene oxide (GO) layers using Au and Ga ions with energy of 40 keV was realized. Very shallow layers of GO are modified as low energy ions are depositing energy mostly in the upper layer due to the low projected ion ranges at most of 50 nm. The ion irradiation fluences of 5.0 × 10¹⁴ cm⁻², 5.0 × 10¹⁵ cm⁻² and 5.0 × 10¹⁶ cm⁻² were used. Upon irradiation, the modified GO foils were characterised using nuclear analytical methods – Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS), Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (ERDA) and various conventional analytical methods such as Raman spectroscopy, Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and 2-point conductivity measurements. Oxygen species removal was evidenced as the increasing function of the ion implantation fluence and oxygen depth profiles exhibited complex behaviour connected to implanted ion specie. The deep oxygen depletion in the broad surface layer accompanied by Ga diffusion into the depth was observed in Ga irradiated GO compared to Au irradiated samples which exhibited a narrow oxygen depleted layer at GO surface. XPS evidenced strong increase of C=C bonds compared to C-O bonds on the irradiated GO surface with increasing ion fluence, which was comparable for both ion species. Raman spectroscopy shows the modification of main phonon modes identified in GO. The D peak slight decrease and broadening was observed for GO irradiated with ion fluence above 5 × 10¹⁵ cm⁻² and mainly for Au ion irradiation. FTIR analysis proved the oxygen containing functional group release with the increased ion fluence, mainly C-O group release after Au ion irradiation was observed. Simultaneously H-O stretching absorption peak is in FTIR spectrum reduced more significantly for Ga irradiated GO which is in accordance with RBS elemental analysis exhibiting the more pronounced hydrogen depletion. Electrical conductivity measurement shows the linear I-V characteristics for the GO irradiated using both ion species and all ion fluences; the surface layer exhibited conductive behaviour comparing to pristine GO non-linear I-V characteristics.