Synthesis of distorted nanographenes containing seven- and eight-membered carbocycles

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Abstract

We highlight recent progress in bottom-up synthesis of well-defined distorted polyaromatic hydrocarbons with saddle shapes containing heptagonal and octagonal carbocycles.

Abstract

This feature article focuses on the bottom-up approaches (solution-phase) based on organic synthesis for the preparation of saddle-shaped distorted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We summarise the recent progress on the synthetic strategies followed to obtain well-defined nanographenes containing heptagonal and octagonal carbocycles, highlighting the novel strategy developed by our group together with our recent contributions in the area of distorted aromatics. The presence of seven- or eight-membered rings induces a saddle-shape curvature in the planar network pushing the structure out of the plane, which influences the physical properties exhibited. Some brief details on the optical and electronic properties of these curved nanostructures are also discussed.

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Direct evidence for atomic defects in graphene layers.

Ayako Hashimoto, Kazu Suenaga, Alexandre Gloter … (2004)

Atomic-scale defects in graphene layers alter the physical and chemical properties of carbon nanostructures. Theoretical predictions have recently shown that energetic particles such as electrons and ions can induce polymorphic atomic defects in graphene layers as a result of knock-on atom displacements. However, the number of experimental reports on these defects is limited. The graphite network in single-walled carbon nanotubes has been visualized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and their chiral indices have been determined. But the methods used require a long image acquisition time and intensive numerical treatments after observations to find an 'average' image, which prevents the accurate detection and investigation of defect structures. Here we report observations in situ of defect formation in single graphene layers by high-resolution TEM. The observed structures are expected to be of use when engineering the properties of carbon nanostructures for specific device applications.

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Perylene bisimide dyes as versatile building blocks for functional supramolecular architectures.

Frank Würthner (2004)

Perylene bisimide dyes and their organization into supramolecular architectures through hydrogen-bonding, metal ion coordination and pi-pi-stacking is discussed; further self-assembly leading to nano- and meso-scopic structures and liquid-crystalline compounds is also addressed.

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Grains and grain boundaries in single-layer graphene atomic patchwork quilts.

Pinshane Y Huang, Carlos S Ruiz-Vargas, Arend van der Zande … (2011)

The properties of polycrystalline materials are often dominated by the size of their grains and by the atomic structure of their grain boundaries. These effects should be especially pronounced in two-dimensional materials, where even a line defect can divide and disrupt a crystal. These issues take on practical significance in graphene, which is a hexagonal, two-dimensional crystal of carbon atoms. Single-atom-thick graphene sheets can now be produced by chemical vapour deposition on scales of up to metres, making their polycrystallinity almost unavoidable. Theoretically, graphene grain boundaries are predicted to have distinct electronic, magnetic, chemical and mechanical properties that strongly depend on their atomic arrangement. Yet because of the five-order-of-magnitude size difference between grains and the atoms at grain boundaries, few experiments have fully explored the graphene grain structure. Here we use a combination of old and new transmission electron microscopy techniques to bridge these length scales. Using atomic-resolution imaging, we determine the location and identity of every atom at a grain boundary and find that different grains stitch together predominantly through pentagon-heptagon pairs. Rather than individually imaging the several billion atoms in each grain, we use diffraction-filtered imaging to rapidly map the location, orientation and shape of several hundred grains and boundaries, where only a handful have been previously reported. The resulting images reveal an unexpectedly small and intricate patchwork of grains connected by tilt boundaries. By correlating grain imaging with scanning probe and transport measurements, we show that these grain boundaries severely weaken the mechanical strength of graphene membranes but do not as drastically alter their electrical properties. These techniques open a new window for studies on the structure, properties and control of grains and grain boundaries in graphene and other two-dimensional materials.