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Engineering Graphene Nanoribbons via Periodically Embedding Oxygen Atoms
Yan Zhao1,2, Li-Xia Kang2, Yi-Jun Wang1
1State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 211198, China.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|June 27, 2025
Summary
Precisely embedding oxygen atoms into graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) creates new semiconductors. Oxygen doping significantly alters chiral (2,1)-GNR electronic properties, unlike chevron-GNRs.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Heteroatom doping engineers graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) electronic properties.
- Precise oxygen atom integration into GNRs and its effects are largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To precisely embed oxygen atoms into GNR lattices.
- To synthesize and characterize oxygen-doped GNRs (O-GNRs).
- To investigate the impact of oxygen doping on GNR electronic properties.
Main Methods:
- In situ formation of pyrans for oxygen incorporation.
- Synthesis of O-doped chevron-GNR and O-doped chiral (2,1)-GNR.
- Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and noncontact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM).
- Density functional theory (DFT) calculations.
Main Results:
- Successfully synthesized two types of O-GNRs.
- Both O-GNRs exhibit direct bandgap semiconducting behavior.
- Oxygen dopants have a minor effect on chevron-GNR bandgap but a significant effect on chiral (2,1)-GNR bandgap.
- O-doping in chiral (2,1)-GNR leads to unexpected band edge transitions and Fermi surface shifts.
Conclusions:
- Precise oxygen doping is achievable in GNRs.
- The electronic properties of O-GNRs are sensitive to dopant concentration and GNR structure.
- O-doping offers a pathway to tune the electronic properties of GNRs for potential applications.
