Monolayer nanocrystalline graphene synthesized from pyrolyzing a Langmuir monolayer of a polyaromatic hydrocarbon.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41481717.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.adv1856 and PMC identifier 12758557.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Bulk carbon materials can be synthesized through the modulation of precursor structures, stacking mode, and the optimization of pyrolysis conditions. The structure of two-dimensional (2D) carbon materials, however, is mainly driven by the pyrolysis temperature, pressure, and organic gas flow rates. Here, we report the synthesis of a centimeter-sized nanocrystalline graphene monolayer from pyrolyzing a Langmuir monolayer of a hexa(terpyridine)hexaphenylbenzene polyaromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) yielding a 2D carbon material with a thickness of 0.36 ± 0.07 nm. By designing the amphiphilic PAHs and reducing intermolecular π-π stacking interactions, a monolayer of horizontally aligned PAH was obtained at the water-air interface. During the pyrolysis, the monolayer served as a molecularly thin solid carbon source, leading to the controlled preparation of an electrically insulating nanocrystalline graphene monolayer. Our work proposes a 2D carbon material formed from the initial assembly of PAH monolayer at the water-air interface and subsequent pyrolysis and offers a modular strategy for designing nanocrystalline 2D films.