arXiv subjects

Andrew J. Pollard

Publications and source records attributed to Andrew J. Pollard.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Recommendations and tools to enable reproducibility in 2D materials research

Research on 2D materials has achieved significant milestones and fuelled a rapidly growing industrial sector. This progress, however, is accompanied by challenges in reproducibility, arising from the atomic thinness, fragility, and environmental sensitivity of these materials. Subtle variations in methods or materials can lead to drastically different outcomes, undermining reliability and slowing down both scientific and technological advances. At the same time, academic publishing and funding systems continue to place greater value on novelty than on efforts to improve reproducibility. This Expert Recommendation outlines concrete, actions researchers can take to improve reproducibility in 2D materials science. We introduce two tools - STEP (Standardised Template for Experimental Procedures) and ReChart (Reproducibility Charter) - designed to support rigorous documentation and transparent sharing of protocols, failure modes, and raw data. To illustrate the application of STEP, we provide three detailed examples covering key processes in 2D materials research: graphene growth by chemical vapour deposition (CVD) on copper foil, wet transfer of CVD graphene, and dry assembly of van der Waals heterostructures. We offer practical recommendations that spans the full research process and show how researchers can engage constructively with stakeholders across academia, funding, publishing, and industry to create a stronger basis for reproducibility, transparency and trust in the field.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2025

The 2D Materials Roadmap

Over the past two decades, 2D materials have rapidly evolved into a diverse and expanding family of material platforms. Many members of this materials class have demonstrated their potential to deliver transformative impact on fundamental research and technological applications across different fields. In this roadmap, we provide an overview of the key aspects of 2D material research and development, spanning synthesis, properties and commercial applications. We specifically present roadmaps for high impact 2D materials, including graphene and its derivatives, transition metal dichalcogenides, MXenes as well as their heterostructures and moiré systems. The discussions are organized into thematic sections covering emerging research areas (e.g., twisted electronics, moiré nano-optoelectronics, polaritronics, quantum photonics, and neuromorphic computing), breakthrough applications in key technologies (e.g., 2D transistors, energy storage, electrocatalysis, filtration and separation, thermal management, flexible electronics, sensing, electromagnetic interference shielding, and composites) and other important topics (computational discovery of novel materials, commercialization and standardization). This roadmap focuses on the current research landscape, future challenges and scientific and technological advances required to address, with the intent to provide useful references for promoting the development of 2D materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Oxidising and carburising catalyst conditioning for the controlled growth and transfer of large crystal monolayer hexagonal boron nitride

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is well-established as a requisite support, encapsulant and barrier for 2D material technologies, but also recently as an active material for applications ranging from hyperbolic metasurfaces to room temperature single-photon sources. Cost-effective, scalable and high quality growth techniques for h-BN layers are critically required. We utilise widely-available iron foils for the catalytic chemical vapour deposition (CVD) of h BN and report on the significant role of bulk dissolved species in h-BN CVD, and specifically, the balance between dissolved oxygen and carbon. A simple pre-growth conditioning step of the iron foils enables us to tailor an error-tolerant scalable CVD process to give exceptionally large h-BN monolayer domains. We also develop a facile method for the improved transfer of as-grown h-BN away from the iron surface by means of the controlled humidity oxidation and subsequent rapid etching of a thin interfacial iron oxide; thus, avoiding the impurities from the bulk of the foil. We demonstrate wafer-scale (2 inch) production and utilise this h-BN as a protective layer for graphene towards integrated (opto) electronic device fabrication.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Raman Fingerprints of Graphene Produced by Anodic Electrochemical Exfoliation

Electrochemical exfoliation is one of the most promising methods for scalable production of graphene. However, limited understanding of its Raman spectrum as well as lack of measurement standards for graphene strongly limit its industrial applications. In this work we show a systematic study of the Raman spectrum of electrochemically exfoliated graphene, produced using different electrolytes and different types of solvents in varying amounts. We demonstrate that no information on the thickness can be extracted from the shape of the 2D peak as this type of graphene is defective. Furthermore, the number of defects and the uniformity of the samples strongly depend on the experimental conditions, including post-processing. Under specific conditions, formation of short conductive trans-polyacetylene chains has been observed. Our Raman analysis provides guidance for the community on how to get information on defects coming from electrolyte, temperature and other experimental conditions, by making Raman spectroscopy a powerful metrology tool.

physics.app-ph↗