We report the formation of nanobubbles on graphene with a radius of the order of 1 nm, using ultralow energy implantation of noble gas ions (He, Ne, Ar) into graphene grown on a Pt(111) surface. We show that the universal scaling of the aspect ratio, which has previously been established for larger bubbles, breaks down when the bubble radius approaches 1 nm, resulting in much larger aspect ratios. Moreover, we observe that the bubble stability and aspect ratio depend on the substrate onto which the graphene is grown (bubbles are stable for Pt but not for Cu) and trapped element. We interpret these dependencies in terms of the atomic compressibility of the noble gas as well as of the adhesion energies between graphene, the substrate, and trapped atoms.

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In this paper we investigate the fluid transport inside a single-wall carbon nanotube induced by a temperature gradient along the tube length, focusing on the effect of fluid–wall interaction strength. It is found that the fluid moves from the hot side of the nanotube towards the cold side. By increasing the fluid–wall interaction strength, the fluid volumetric flux assumes a maximum, increases, and then decreases. Fluid transport is pressure-driven in weak interactions; in contrast, in strong interactions, the fluid is broken into two parts in the radial direction. Fluid transport in the central regions of the tube is pressure-driven, while it is surface-driven in the areas close to the wall.