Poly(ethylene oxide) Functionalized Graphene Nanoribbons with Excellent Solution Processability

Huang Y, Mai Y, Beser U, Teyssandier J, Velpula G, Van Gorp H, Straaso LA, Hansen MR, Rizzo D, Casiraghi C, Yang R, Zhang G, Wu D, Zhang F, Yan D, De Feyter S, Muellen K, Feng X (2016)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2016

Journal

Journal of the American Chemical Society American Chemical Society

Book Volume: 138

Pages Range: 10136-10139

Journal Issue: 32

DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b07061

Abstract

Structurally well-defined graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) have attracted great interest as next-generation semiconductor materials. The functionalization of GNRs with polymeric side chains, which can widely broaden GNR-related studies on physiochemical properties and potential applications, has remained unexplored. Here, we demonstrate the bottom-up solution synthesis of defect-free GNRs grafted with flexible poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) chains. The GNR backbones possess an armchair edge structure with a width of 1.0-1.7 nm and mean lengths of 15-60 nm, enabling near-infrared absorption and a low bandgap of 1.3 eV. Remarkably, the PEO grafting renders the GNRs superb dispersibility in common organic solvents, with a record concentration of ∼1 mg mL-1 (for GNR backbone) that is much higher than that (<0.01 mg mL-1) of reported GNRs. Moreover, the PEO-functionalized GNRs can be readily dispersed in water, accompanying with supramolecular helical nanowire formation. Scanning probe microscopy reveals raft-like self-assembled monolayers of uniform GNRs on graphite substrates. Thin-film-based field-effect transistors (FETs) of the GNRs exhibit a high carrier mobility of ∼0.3 cm2 V-1 s-1, manifesting promising application of the polymer-functionalized GNRs in electronic devices.

Involved external institutions

Shanghai Jiao Tong University / 上海交通大学 CN China (CN) Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung (MPI-P) / Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research DE Germany (DE) Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL) / Catholic University of Leuven BE Belgium (BE) Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität (WWU) Münster DE Germany (DE) University of Manchester GB United Kingdom (GB) Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) / 中国科学院 CN China (CN) Aarhus University DK Denmark (DK)

How to cite

APA:

Huang, Y., Mai, Y., Beser, U., Teyssandier, J., Velpula, G., Van Gorp, H.,... Feng, X. (2016). Poly(ethylene oxide) Functionalized Graphene Nanoribbons with Excellent Solution Processability. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 138(32), 10136-10139. https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.6b07061

MLA:

Huang, Yinjuan, et al. "Poly(ethylene oxide) Functionalized Graphene Nanoribbons with Excellent Solution Processability." Journal of the American Chemical Society 138.32 (2016): 10136-10139.

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