The Influence of Graphene and Its Substrate on the Electrodeposition of Metals

Controlling the crystal structure and morphology of electrodeposited metals is critical for batteries and electronic device contacts. Two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene can modify the growth of metals, but the impact of 2D interlayers on electrodeposition processes is not fully understood. Here, we investigate the electrodeposition of Zn and Cu onto graphene-coated Cu substrates. Through electron backscatter diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, we show that the crystallographic orientation of the underlying Cu plays a dominant role in determining the orientation of electrodeposits despite the presence of graphene. The data suggest that the electrodeposits grow via remote epitaxy, where the structure of the Cu influences the deposit through the graphene. The graphene also modifies nucleation behavior. These results demonstrate that metal electrodeposition can be influenced by the substrate beneath graphene, which suggests that electrodeposition of a variety of metals could be controlled through judicious choice of substrate to enable desired growth morphologies.