Achievement

Single-atomic-layer sheets of graphite -- so-called "graphene" films -- have many exceptional properties, but their uniform 2D structure lacks a "chemical handle" for functionalization. Although chemical handles can be directly bonded to the graphene lattice, this type of attachment destroys graphene's unique properties. IGERT Fellow Jason Mann has developed a new platform for graphene functionalization which consists of tripodal molecules with "feet" designed to stick to graphene without direct chemical bonds. Using electrochemical techniques, Mann and another IGERT Fellow, Joanna Tan, showed that the tripods bind approximately twice as strongly as similar monopodal compounds but desorb 1000 times more slowly, demonstrating the importance of the tripodal motif for stable attachment. Future tripodal molecules may enable the construction of molecularly well-defined electronic devices ranging from molecular memory devices to solar cells.