Speaker
Description
T.V. Ohanyan*, H.I. Badalyan, H.V. Vasilyan, S.J. Sedrakyan, E. Aleksanyan, N.B. Margaryan
A.I. Alikhanyan National Science Laboratory (Yerevan Physics Institute), 2 Alikhanyan Brothers, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia, 0036
Graphene’s outstanding physical characteristics—most notably its ultralight weight—make it an ideal candidate for space based technologies. Yet, the effects of proton irradiation, a prevalent factor in the space environment, on both its structural integrity and functional performance have not been fully characterized. In this work, we examine how 15.5 MeV proton beams alter liquid phase exfoliated graphene, with particular attention to its infrared absorption features and microscopic structure. Our results show that organic contaminants and functional groups picked up during exfoliation raise graphene’s Fermi level, thereby inhibiting infrared absorption via the Pauli blocking mechanism. When exposed to proton fluences up to 1 × 10¹⁵ protons/cm², these adsorbates are effectively stripped away, removing the Pauli blocking effect and restoring the material’s infrared response. These findings enhance our understanding of graphene’s behavior under proton bombardment and support its future deployment in space‐borne thermal coatings, electronic systems, and optical devices.
The research was supported by the Higher Education and Science Committee of MESCS RA (Research project № 24LCG-1C015).
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2 N. Margaryan, N. Kokanyan, E. Kokanyan, Low-temperature synthesis and characteristics of fractal graphene layers, J. Saudi Chem. Soc. 23 (2019) 13–20.
3 N. Margaryan et al, “15.5 MeV proton irradiation treatment of liquid phase exfoliated graphene,” Diamond and Related Materials V 146, (2024), 111224.
