title: Poly(ethylene oxide) Functionalized Graphene Nanoribbons with Excellent Solution Processability.
abstract: Structurally well-defined graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) have attracted great interest as next-generation semiconductor materials. The functionalization of GNRs with polymeric side chains, which can widely broaden GNR-related studies on physiochemical properties and potential applications, has remained unexplored. Here, we demonstrate the bottom-up solution synthesis of defect-free GNRs grafted with flexible poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) chains. The GNR backbones possess an armchair edge structure with a width of 1.0-1.7 nm and mean lengths of 15-60 nm, enabling near-infrared absorption and a low bandgap of 1.3 eV. Remarkably, the PEO grafting renders the GNRs superb dispersibility in common organic solvents, with a record concentration of ∼1 mg mL(-1) (for GNR backbone) that is much higher than that (<0.01 mg mL(-1)) of reported GNRs. Moreover, the PEO-functionalized GNRs can be readily dispersed in water, accompanying with supramolecular helical nanowire formation. Scanning probe microscopy reveals raft-like self-assembled monolayers of uniform GNRs on graphite substrates. Thin-film-based field-effect transistors (FETs) of the GNRs exhibit a high carrier mobility of ∼0.3 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), manifesting promising application of the polymer-functionalized GNRs in electronic devices.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , 800 Dongchuan RD, Shanghai 200240, China.
authors.forename: Yinjuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , 800 Dongchuan RD, Shanghai 200240, China.
authors.forename: Yiyong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mai
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research , Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Uliana
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Beser
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven Celestijnenlaan , 200 F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Teyssandier
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven Celestijnenlaan , 200 F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Gangamallaiah
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Velpula
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven Celestijnenlaan , 200 F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van Gorp
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center, Aarhus University , Gustav Wieds Vej 14, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Lasse Arnt
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Straasø
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physical Chemistry, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster , Corrensstr. 28/30, D-48149 Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael Ryan
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, Manchester University , Oxford Road, Manchester M139PL, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, Manchester University , Oxford Road, Manchester M139PL, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Casiraghi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , P.O. Box 603, Beijing 100190, China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , P.O. Box 603, Beijing 100190, China.
authors.forename: Guangyu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , 800 Dongchuan RD, Shanghai 200240, China.
authors.forename: Dongqing
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , 800 Dongchuan RD, Shanghai 200240, China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , 800 Dongchuan RD, Shanghai 200240, China.
authors.forename: Deyue
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven Celestijnenlaan , 200 F, B-3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Feyter
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research , Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Müllen
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University , 800 Dongchuan RD, Shanghai 200240, China.|Department of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Technische Universität Dresden , Mommsenstrasse 4, 01062 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Xinliang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng