title: Chemical routes to discharging graphenides.
abstract: Chemical and electrochemical reduction methods allow the dispersion, processing, and/or functionalization of discrete sp2-hybridised nanocarbons, including fullerenes, nanotubes and graphenes. Electron transfer to the nanocarbon raises the Fermi energy, creating nanocarbon anions and thereby activating an array of possible covalent reactions. The Fermi level may then be partially or fully lowered by intended functionalization reactions, but in general, techniques are required to remove excess charge without inadvertent covalent reactions that potentially degrade the nanocarbon properties of interest. Here, simple and effective chemical discharging routes are demonstrated for graphenide polyelectrolytes and are expected to apply to other systems, particularly nanotubides. The discharging process is inherently linked to the reduction potentials of such chemical discharging agents and the unusual fundamental chemistry of charged nanocarbons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, UK. m.shaffer@imperial.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5679-6568
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hodge
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, UK. m.shaffer@imperial.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Hin Chun
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Yau
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Neal T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Skipper
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ, UK. m.shaffer@imperial.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Milo S P
authors.initials: MSP
authors.lastname: Shaffer