Ar cluster bombardment of phenylalanine deposited on graphene—Effect of kinetic energy and projectile size

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of kinetic energy and projectile size on particle emission from a phenylalanine overlayer adsorbed on a graphene bilayer during argon projectile bombardment. Projectiles of various sizes (1–1000 atoms) and kinetic energies (0.5–40 keV) are used to study their impact on the ejection efficiency, mass distribution, and kinetic and angular spectra of the emitted substances. Particle ejection mechanisms are discussed in scenarios with and without sample perforation. Additionally, this study investigated the potential use of graphene in secondary ion mass spectrometry or neutral secondary mass spectrometry analyses.