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Updated: May 8, 2026

Fabrication of Three-Dimensional Graphene-Based Polyhedrons via Origami-Like Self-Folding
Published on: September 23, 2018
Mesoscale Graphene-like Honeycomb Mono- and Multilayers Constructed via Self-Assembly of Coclusters
Xue-Sen Hou1, Guo-Long Zhu2, Li-Jun Ren1
1Center for Synthetic Soft Materials, Key Laboratory of Functional Polymer Materials of Ministry of Education and Institute of Polymer Chemistry, Nankai University , Tianjin 300071, China.
Abstract:
Honeycomb structure endows graphene with extraordinary properties. But could a honeycomb monolayer superlattice also be generated via self-assembly of colloids or nanoparticles? Here we report the construction of mono- and multilayer molecular films with honeycomb structure that can be regarded as self-assembled artificial graphene (SAAG). We construct fan-shaped molecular building blocks by covalently connecting two kinds of clusters, one polyoxometalate and four polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes. The precise shape control enables these complex molecules to self-assemble into a monolayer 2D honeycomb superlattice that mirrors that of graphene but on the mesoscale. The self-assembly of the SAAG was also reproduced via coarse-grained molecular simulations of a fan-shaped building block. It revealed a hierarchical process and the key role of intermediate states in determining the honeycomb structure. Experimental images also show a diversity of bi- and trilayer stacking modes. The successful creation of SAAG and its stacks opens up prospects for the preparation of novel self-assembled nanomaterials with unique properties.
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