Observation of structure transition as a function of temperature in depositing hydrogenated sp2-rich carbon films.

In this study, we carried out the transition experiments of graphite-like (GL) to fullerene-like (FL) structures by placing high temperature steel substrates in the depositing environment which can form FL hydrogenated carbon films. We investigated the changes of bond mixtures, H content, aromatic clusters and internal stress at the transition process, and proposed the transformation mechanism inferred from Raman, TEM cross-section, FTIR and XPS results. It was found that the size of aromatic clusters and accordingly graphene planes and the formation of edge dangling bonds were the key steps. H + bombardment leaded to the splitting of large graphene planes (at GL stage) into more and smaller planes (at FL stage) and the formation of edge dangling bonds; Some of these dangling bonds were reduced by the formation of pentagons and subsequent curving of the smaller planes, which were an indicator of FL structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]