Graphene's Potential Unveiled Through Visible Growth.

Researchers from the University of Amsterdam and New York University have developed a way to observe the formation and evolution of defects in graphene-like materials. They used micrometer-sized models of atomic graphene made from "patchy particles" that interact with the same coordination as atoms in graphene. The researchers found that the most common type of defect forms in the initial stages of growth, and observed how the lattice mismatch is repaired by another defect, leading to a stable defect configuration. The direct observations allow insights into atomic dynamics in this class of materials, which can help further engineer the atomic counterparts for various applications.