Control of one-dimensional magnetism in graphenevia spontaneous hydrogenation of the grain boundary

Abstract

We propose that control of one-dimensional (1D) magnetism in graphene could be made easier by spontaneous hydrogenation of chemically reactive grain boundaries (GBs) in polycrystalline graphenes. Unlike pristine graphene, where hydrogen adsorption favors the formation of zero-dimensional (0D) clusters, the defect cores (pentagon, heptagon and octagon) at the GBs in polycrystalline graphene promote hydrogenation along the GBs. The hydrogenation in polycrystalline graphene starts at the GBs, proceeds gradually towards the grain interior (GI) and results in smooth 1D graphane–graphene interfaces. Our calculations show that the type (ferro- or antiferro-magnetism) and strength of the magnetism can be controlled by controlling the orientation of GBs. Since GBs in single-layer graphenes can be fabricated in a controllable way in experiments, the hydrogenation of GBs could be a unique method to realize large-area magnetic graphenes for future spintronic applications.