abstract
Graphene nanoribbons (GNR) were generated in ethanol solution by unzipping pyrrolidine-functionalized carbon nanotubes under mild conditions. Evaporation of the solvent resulted in regular few-layer stacks of graphene nanoribbons observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction. The experimental interlayer distance (0.49-0.56nm) was confirmed by computer modelling (0.51nm). Computer modelling showed that the large interlayer spacing (compared with graphite) is due to the presence of the functional groups and depends on their concentration. Stacked nanoribbons were observed to redissolve upon solvent addition. This preparation method could allow the fine-tuning of the interlayer distances by controlling the number and/or the nature of the chemical groups in between the graphene layers.
keywords
DISPERSIONS; EXFOLIATION; NANOSHEETS
subject category
Chemistry
authors
Cunha, E; Proenca, MF; Costa, F; Fernandes, AJ; Ferro, MAC; Lopes, PE; Gonzalez-Debs, M; Melle-Franco, M; Deepak, FL; Paiva, MC
our authors
Marta Ascenção Carmona Ferro
Laboratory OfficerGroups
acknowledgements
The authors are thankful to the Institute of Nanostructures, Nanomodelling and Nanofabrication (Associated Laboratory of the Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal) for funding of the project Grafitran (PEst-C/CTM/LA0025/2011). M. Melle-Franco acknowledges support from FCT through the Ciencia 2008 program and grants PEst-OE/EEI/UI0752/2014 and CONC-REEQ. E. Cunha gratefully acknowledges the FCT also for the Ph.D. grant SFRH/BD/87214/2012.