C60 ion beam as a tool to obtain functional nanostructured coating

P Karaseov and K Karasev and D Strizhkin and A Shakhmin and V Pukha, RADIATION EFFECTS AND DEFECTS IN SOLIDS, 179, 1552-1558 (2024).

DOI: 10.1080/10420150.2024.2434509

Among others, carbon-based coatings are of extreme interest thanks to the wonderful ability of carbon to form a wide variety of C-C atom bondings that give the unique possibility to tailor the properties of a growing blanket layer. Fullerene C-60 ions/molecules of different energy are very powerful tools to obtain carbon-based coatings on various surfaces. Substrate temperature and C-60 ion energy play a crucial role in the processes that take place during irradiation. Varying them one can tune the coating structure from amorphous to nanocomposite consisting of an amorphous diamond-like matrix filled with graphite nanoflakes. Carbon atom bonding-type can also be tuned. The friction coefficient and wear resistance of grown nanocomposite carbon coatings are close to the record values. Corrosion tests show that the coating protects the underlying substrate well in both oxidising and reducing atmospheres. The high conductivity of some films makes them suitable for use as proton exchange membrane bipolar plates in fuel cell applications. Developed nanocomposite coatings can also be used in biomedical applications (implant coating, friction pairs in artificial joints, etc.).

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