The Effects of Neutron and Gamma Radiation on Graphene

Although young in its existence, graphene has already shown many potential uses in nuclear engineering. Graphene has unique electrical, mechanical and optical properties that give it unmatched potential for applications raging from sensors to composites. Before these applications can be fully developed, the response to neutron and gamma irradiation must be understood. In this study, graphene grown from chemical vapor deposition was irradiated by the High Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and characterized using Raman spectroscopy. It was found that the amount of structural damage was minimal, but that the graphene was doped reversibly with H₂0₂ and irreversibly. The irreversible doping is a type of soft etching process related to the exposure to O₂ as well as ionizations and heating caused by irradiation. The reversible doping is related to the products generated through the radiolysis of the water trapped between the sample and the substrate. By removing the water through evaporation the dopants related to the radiolysis products were found to be removed as well. These results are promising as they show that graphene is resilient and sensitive to the effects of irradiation simultaneously.