International Collaboration in Chemistry: Directed synthesis of graphene nanoribbons

在化学系和国际科学与工程办公室的有机动力学项目的支持下，格鲁吉亚理工学院的拉伦·托尔伯特和克利福德·亨德森教授将分别与马克斯-普朗克聚合物研究所和埃尔兰根大学的克劳斯马伦和安德烈亚斯·赫希教授合作，研究石墨烯纳米带的合成和表征。石墨烯是碳的二维平面同素异形体，作为传统硅和化合物半导体之外的电子材料，引起了相当大的兴趣。基于氧化芳基-芳基偶联反应和Diels-Alder化学，提出了一种新的自下而上的低聚物方法在固体表面上合成石墨烯带，没有结构缺陷。石墨烯纳米结构将直接通过一种新的“热尖端纳米光刻”技术来创建，该技术使用原子探针尖端内的电阻加热器将石墨烯前体局部转化为表面上的功能纳米结构。这项技术将利用许多小组在合成独立石墨分子方面取得的巨大成功和广泛的文献，包括该项目的合作者，以及由亨德森教授及其合作者开创的令人兴奋的新热尖纳米光刻方法。这项提议将利用四名国际研究人员的独特但互补的能力，他们每个人都提供了整体技术的关键部分，以发挥系统有机合成的力量。这种潜在的突破性技术可能会为纳米电路设计开辟一种新的和潜在的变革性方法，并加强迄今为止几个未联系的群体之间的联系。国际合作将为博士提供独特的教育体验。学生，并创建一个新的互动联盟。此外，格鲁吉亚理工学院是代表性不足的群体的科学和工程毕业生的主要生产者之一，亨德森和托尔伯特的群体在这些学生的教育方面有着广泛的记录。在征求参加该项目的候选人时，将以这些群体为对象。

With the support of the Organic Dynamics Program in the Chemistry Division and the Office of International Science and Engineering, Professors Laren Tolbert and Clifford Henderson at the Georgia Institute of Technology will work with collaborators Professors Klaus Mullen and Andreas Hirsch at the Max-Planck-Institute for Polymer Research and the University of Erlangen, respectively, on the synthesis and characterization of graphene nanoribbons. Graphene, a two-dimensional planar allotrope of carbon, has attracted considerable excitement as an electronic material beyond conventional silicon and compound semiconductors. A new bottoms-up oligomer approach to the synthesis of graphene ribbons on solid surfaces is proposed, free of structural defects, based upon oxidative aryl-aryl coupling reactions and Diels-Alder chemistry. Graphene nanostructures will be created directly through a novel "hot-tip nanolithography" technique, which uses a resistive heater within the atomic probe tip to locally convert graphene precursors into functional nanostructures on a surface. This technique will take advantage of the tremendous success and extensive literature in synthesizing free-standing graphitic molecules by a number of groups, including the collaborators on this project, as well as the exciting new hot-tip nanolithography methods pioneered by Professor Henderson and his collaborators.This proposal will use the unique but complementary capabilities of the group of four international investigators, each of whom supplies a critical piece of overall technology, to bring to bear the power of systematic organic synthesis. This potential breakthrough technology may open up a new and potentially transformative approach to nanocircuit design and strengthen the ties among several heretofore unlinked groups. The international collaboration will provide a unique educational experience for Ph.D. students and create a new interactive consortium. Moreover, Georgia Tech is one of the leading producers of graduates in science and engineering from underrepresented groups, and the groups of Henderson and Tolbert have an extensive record in the education of these students. Such groups will be targeted in soliciting candidates for participation in this project.