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Researchers working with thin samples, such as monolayer graphene, are consistently struggling against contamination. Indeed, the problem of hydrocarbon contamination is known from the earliest days of electron microscopy and efforts to reduce this problem are ubiquitous to almost all high‐vacuum experiments. Accurate knowledge of the behavior of such contamination is essential for electron beam (e‐beam) based atomic fabrication, where it is aspired to select and control matter on an atom‐by‐atom basis. Here, the vexing question of hydrocarbon contamination on graphene is taken up. Image intensity is used to directly reveal the presence of diffusing hydrocarbons on ostensibly clean graphene. These diffusing hydrocarbons are previously inferred but not directly observed. Surprising dynamic variations of the concentration of these hydrocarbons impels questions about their origin. Here, some possible explanations are presented and some tentative conclusions are drawn. This work updates the conceptual model of "clean graphene" and offers refinements to the description of e‐beam induced hydrocarbon deposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article "Your Clean Graphene is Still Not Clean" published in Advanced Materials Interfaces discusses the presence of rapidly diffusing hydrocarbons on graphene, which are not visible on a microscopic level but are detected through image intensity. The study reveals that graphene, while appearing clean, still contains contamination in a non-solid form that is loosely adhered to its surface. This research updates the existing model of surface hydrocarbons on graphene and provides valuable insights into this phenomenon. [Extracted from the article]