Graphene-based materials (GBMs), with graphene, their most known member, at the head, constitute a large family of materials which has aroused the interest of scientists working in different research fields such as chemistry, physics, or materials science, to mention a few, arguably as no other material before. In this review, we offer a general overview on the most relevant synthetic approaches for the covalent and non-covalent functionalization and characterization of GBMs. Moreover, some representative examples of the incorporation into GBMs of electroactive units such as porphyrins, phthalocyanines, or ferrocene, among others, affording electron donor-acceptor (D-A) hybrids are presented. For the latter systems, the photophysical characterization of their ground- and excited-state features has also been included, paying particular attention to elucidate the fundamental dynamics of the energy transfer and charge separation processes of these hybrids. For some of the presented architectures, their application in solar energy conversion schemes and energy production has been also discussed.

No abstract

Graphene is a unique material with outstanding mechanical and electronic properties. For solution processes graphene layers have to be stabilized by means of molecular or supramolecular chemical derivatization, prior to their transfer to solid substrates. The most common chemical methodology for the preparation of graphene involves the formation of graphene oxide under highly oxidizing conditions, which even after reduction, lacks the electronic quality of pristine graphene. Presently, there is increasing concern in the chemical community about the starting material quality, and recent efforts are directed to wet chemical approaches toward high-quality graphene flakes which encompass the use of graphite as initial material. In addition, epitaxial growth of graphene on metallic surfaces is becoming a powerful technique for the production of pristine graphene with a control on its electronic properties, somehow due to the supramolecular interaction with the metallic surface. Current approaches for the preparation of modified pristine graphene are the aim of this review.

After the last epidemic of the Zika virus (ZIKV) in Brazil that peaked in 2016, growing evidence has been demonstrated of the link between this teratogenic flavivirus and microcephaly cases. However, no vaccine or antiviral drug has been approved yet. ZIKV and Dengue viruses (DENV) entry to the host cell takes place through several receptors, including dendritic cell-specific intercellular adhesion molecule-3-grabbing nonintegrin (DC-SIGN), so that the blockade of this receptor through multivalent glycoconjugates supposes a promising biological target to inhibit the infection process. In order to get enhanced multivalency in biocompatible systems, tridecafullerenes appended with up to 360 1,2-mannobiosides have been synthesized using a strain-promoted cycloaddition of azides to alkynes (SPAAC) strategy. These systems have been tested against ZIKV and DENV infection, showing an outstanding activity in the picomolar range.

Chiral graphene quantum dots were prepared by acidic exfoliation and oxidation of graphite, dialysis, and esterification with enantiomerically pure (R) or (S)-2-phenyl-1-propanol. Circular dichroism studies support the formation of supramolecular aggregates with pyrene molecules, where a transfer of chirality occurs from the chiral graphene quantum dots to the pyrene.