Controllable unzipping for intramolecular junctions of graphene nanoribbons and single-walled carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Graphene is often regarded as one of the most promising candidates for future nanoelectronics. As an indispensable component in graphene-based electronics, the formation of junctions with other materials not only provides utility functions and reliable connexions, but can also improve or alter the properties of pristine graphene, opening up possibilities for new applications. Here we demonstrate an intramolecular junction produced by the controllable unzipping of single-walled carbon nanotubes, which combines a graphene nanoribbon and single-walled carbon nanotube in a one-dimensional nanostructure. This junction shows a strong gate-dependent rectifying behaviour. As applications, we demonstrate the use of the junction in prototype directionally dependent field-effect transistors, logic gates and highperformance photodetectors, indicating its potential in future graphene-based electronics and optoelectronics.

Graphene based metal and metal oxide nanocomposites: synthesis, properties and their applications

“…29 The bottom-up growth of graphene sheets is an alternative to the mechanical exfoliation of the bulk graphite. In bottom-up processes, graphene is synthesized by a variety of methods such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), 45,46 arc discharge, 47 epitaxial growth on SiC, 48 chemical conversion, 49 reduction of CO, 50 unzipping carbon nanotubes 51,52 and self-assembly of surfactants. 53 The CVD approach to produce graphene relies on dissolving carbon into metal surfaces, such as Ni and Cu that act as catalysts 54,55 and then forcing it to separate by cooling the metal.…”

Deposition, Characterization, and Thin-Film-Based Chemical Sensing of Ultra-long Chemically Synthesized Graphene Nanoribbons

“…1,2 The creation of a bandgap in graphene is essential for the utilization of graphene in digital integrated circuits so that switching off the channel can be realized. Recently, lots of efforts were put into generating GNRs with various widths and lengths using lithographical [3][4][5] , chemical [6][7][8] and various other techniques [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] . However, patterning graphene using top-down approaches create GNRs with rough edges which can degrade the carrier transport.…”

Controllable Fabrication of Nanostructured Graphene Towards Electronics

“…Reproduced with permission. [ 70 ] Copyright 2013, Macmillan Publishers Ltd. e) Schematic of the suspended GFET pH sensors. f) Conductance change with pH change.…”

“…[ 105,106 ] Wei et al demonstrated an intra-molecular junction produced by the controllable unzipping of SWCNTs, which combined a GNR and SWCNT in a one-dimensional nanostructure. [ 70 ] The fabrication of a SWCNT-GNR junction is described in Figure 11 g. Figure 11 h shows typical TEM images of an SWCNT and a GNR obtained before and after zinc and acid treatment, respectively, demonstrating the conversion of SWCNT to graphene. Electrical measurements revealed a strong gate-dependent rectifying behavior, which was intrinsic to the SWCNT/GNR junction; that is, the GNR segment had a lower conductivity by three to four orders of magnitude than the the SWCNT segment, and the I sd -V sd characteristic across the junction was highly nonlinear and asymmetric with rectifi cation ratio, as seen in Figure 11 i.…”