Factors Contributing to Size Selection of Metal Nanoparticles on Graphene

We examine layer number dependence in the size of metal nanoparticles grown on single and multilayer graphene. Graphene offers a smooth inert substrate for nanoparticles, in particular for particles grown in situ. Upon annealing, the particles forming on thin layers are smaller. A theory based on balance between self-repulsive dipole interaction and surface tension is presented. We test this theory by examining size distributions for various metals.