An impermeable copper surface monolayer with high-temperature oxidation resistance

Despite numerous efforts involving surface coating, doping, and alloying, maintaining surface stability of metal at high temperatures without compromising intrinsic properties has remained challenging. Here, we present a pragmatic method to address the accelerated oxidation of Cu, Ni, and Fe at temperatures exceeding 200 °C. Inspired by the concept that oxygen (O) itself can effectively obstruct the pathway of O infiltration, this study proposes the immobilization of O on the metal surface. Through extensive calculations considering various elements (C, Al, Si, Ge, Ga, In, and Sn) to anchor O on Cu surfaces, Si emerges as the optimal element. The theoretical findings are validated through systematic sputtering deposition experiments. The introduction of anchoring elements to reinforce Cu-O bonds enables the formation of an atomically thin barrier on the Cu surface, rendering it impermeable to O even at high temperatures (400 °C) while preserving its intrinsic conductivity. This oxidation resistance, facilitated by the impermeable atomic monolayer, opens promising opportunities for researchers and industries to overcome limitations associated with the use of oxidizable metal films.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2025-02-07
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-56709-w
Citations
4
Primary Topic
Graphene research and applications
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.07

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An impermeable copper surface monolayer with high-temperature oxidation resistance

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An impermeable copper surface monolayer with high-temperature oxidation resistance

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article en
4 citations

Abstract

Despite numerous efforts involving surface coating, doping, and alloying, maintaining surface stability of metal at high temperatures without compromising intrinsic properties has remained challenging. Here, we present a pragmatic method to address the accelerated oxidation of Cu, Ni, and Fe at temperatures exceeding 200 °C. Inspired by the concept that oxygen (O) itself can effectively obstruct the pathway of O infiltration, this study proposes the immobilization of O on the metal surface. Through extensive calculations considering various elements (C, Al, Si, Ge, Ga, In, and Sn) to anchor O on Cu surfaces, Si emerges as the optimal element. The theoretical findings are validated through systematic sputtering deposition experiments. The introduction of anchoring elements to reinforce Cu-O bonds enables the formation of an atomically thin barrier on the Cu surface, rendering it impermeable to O even at high temperatures (400 °C) while preserving its intrinsic conductivity. This oxidation resistance, facilitated by the impermeable atomic monolayer, opens promising opportunities for researchers and industries to overcome limitations associated with the use of oxidizable metal films.

Nature CommunicationsVol. 16(1)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US), Harvard University (US), Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KR), Gordon Center for Medical Imaging (US), Massachusetts General Hospital (US), Institute for Basic Science (KR), Korea Basic Science Institute (KR), Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (KR), Pusan National University (KR), Chung-Ang University (KR), Sungkyunkwan University (KR), Mississippi State University (US)
U.S. Department of Energy, Mississippi State University, National Research Foundation, National Research Foundation of Korea, Institute for Basic Science, Samsung, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering
Openalex Percentile: Top 15%
Graphene research and applications
2.07
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