On-surface synthesis of hydroxy-functionalized graphene nanoribbons through deprotection of methylenedioxy groups.

ABSTRACT: We demonstrate on-surface deprotection of methylenedioxy groups which yielded graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with edges functionalized by hydroxy groups. While anthracene trimer precursors functionalized with hydroxy groups did not yield GNRs, it was found that hydroxy groups are first protected as methylenedioxy groups and then deprotected during the cyclo-dehydrogenation process to form GNRs with hydroxy groups. The X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and non-contact atomic force microscopy studies revealed that ∼20% of the methylenedioxy turned into hydroxy groups, while the others were hydrogen-terminated. The first-principles density functional theory (DFT) study on the cyclo-dehydrogenation process was performed to investigate the deprotection mechanism, which indicates that hydrogen atoms

SUBMITTER: Ohtomo M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9642360 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature