Nanoscopic imaging of oxidized graphene monolayer using tip-enhanced Raman scattering

Tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) can be used for the structural and chemical characterization of materials with a nanoscale resolution, and offers numerous advantages compared to other forms of imaging. We use TERS to track the local structural features of a CVD-grown graphene monolayer. Ag nanoparticles were added to AFM probes using ion-beam sputtering in order to make them TERS-active. Such modification provides probes with large factors of enhancement and good reproducibility. TERS measurements on graphene show an emergence of a defect-induced D-Raman band and a strain-induced shoulder of the graphene's G-band. Comparison of TERS results with micro-Raman for oxidized graphene suggests that local oxidation occurs with the introduction of sp³ defects, under TERS conditions.