Abstract

The preparation of graphene on the close-packed surfaces of d metals (such as Ni, Ru, Pt, Cu, and Ir) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is one of the most promising methods to prepare single-layer and large-area graphene, which is a prerequisite for the fabrication of graphene-based electronic devices. Therefore, understanding the electronic properties of graphene/metal interfaces is of great importance because of their crucial roles in graphene synthesis by the CVD method as well as developing graphene-based nanoelectronics. Different classifications can be introduced for graphene/metal systems: graphene situated on lattice-matched or lattice-mismatched metallic surfaces where the interaction between them can be either “strong” or “weak.” In this chapter, we will review the latest progress in the investigations of graphene/metal interfacial interaction by means of synchrotron-based spectroscopies, including near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS), x-ray emission spectroscopy (XES), resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS), synchrotron-radiation photoemission spectroscopy (SRPES), and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) on the basis of a large amount of experimental data. The different categories of graphene–metal bonding are discussed in depth for a number of example systems, mainly including graphene/Ru, graphene/Ni, graphene/Ir, graphene/Pt, and graphene/Cu.