Noncovalent Functionalization, Exfoliation, and Solubilization of Graphene in Water by Employing a Fluorescent Coronene Carboxylate

摘要

Graphene, with an atomically thin two-dimensional lattice of sp2 carbon atoms, has emerged in recent years as a novel class of nanomaterial, with remarkable electronic and mechanical properties.[1, 2] Molecular engineering of graphene by solubilization, chemical functionalization, and assembly, for example, plays a crucial role in exploring the applications of the resulting compounds in nanoelectronic devices and composite materials.[3] Noncovalent functionalization, which has successfully been carried out in the case of carbon nanotubes,[4] is also of interest for the solubilization of graphene because it enables the attachment of molecules through p–p stacking and hydrophobic interactions while still preserving the intrinsic properties of graphene.