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Aryl functionalization as a route to band gap engineering in single layer graphene devices
Hang Zhang1, Elena Bekyarova, Jhao-Wun Huang
1Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , Riverside, California 92521, United States.
Nano Letters
|August 31, 2011
Summary
Chemical functionalization of graphene with nitrophenyl groups creates a tunable band gap. This method enables graphene to transition from a granular metal to a semiconductor, paving the way for electronic devices.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Graphene's zero band gap limits its application in electronic devices.
- Chemical functionalization offers a route to engineer graphene's electronic properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of chemical functionalization on graphene's band gap.
- To explore the potential for creating semiconductor properties in graphene.
Main Methods:
- Chemically grafting nitrophenyl groups onto single-layer graphene films.
- Performing transport measurements on both substrate-supported and free-standing graphene.
Main Results:
- Nonsuspended functionalized graphene exhibited granular metal behavior with a mobility gap of ~0.1 eV.
- Suspended functionalized graphene transitioned to a semiconductor with a transport gap of ~80 meV.
- Functionalization was effective across a temperature range of 4–300 K.
Conclusions:
- Noninvasive, scalable chemical functionalization can engineer graphene's band gap.
- This technique allows tuning graphene from a metallic to a semiconducting state.
- The method is compatible with CMOS technology for graphene-based electronics.
