Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Study and Nanomanipulation of Graphene-Coated Water on Mica

Abstract

We study interfacial water trapped between a sheet of graphene and a muscovite (mica) surface using Raman spectroscopy and ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (UHV-STM) at room temperature. We are able to image the graphene-water interface with atomic resolution, revealing a layered network of water trapped underneath the graphene. We identify water layer numbers with a carbon nanotube height reference. Under normal scanning conditions, the water structures remain stable. However, at greater electron energies, we are able to locally manipulate the water using the STM tip.