Edge State Engineering of Graphene Nanoribbons

Abstract

Zigzag edges of graphene nanoribbons, which are predicted to host spin-polarized electronic states, hold great promise for future spintronic device applications. The ability to precisely engineer the zigzag edge state is of crucial importance for realizing its full potential functionalities in nanotechnology. By combining scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy, we demonstrate the zigzag edge states have energy splitting upon fusing manganese the phthalocyanine molecule with the short armchair graphene nanoribbon termini. Moreover, the edge state splitting can be reversibly switched by adsorption and desorption of a hydrogen atom on the magnetic core of manganese phthalocyanine. These observations can be explained by tuning the zigzag edge local doping through the charge transfer process, which provides a new route to functionalize graphene-based molecular devices.

Chiral Recognition of Hexahelicene on a Surface via the Forming of Asymmetric Heterochiral Trimers

“…A CO functionalized tip was used for the nc-AFM measurements to achieve submolecular resolution [24,25]. To prepare the CO functionalized tip, NaCl was firstly evaporated on the Au(111) surface before evaporating the [6]H molecules [26,27], which were used to pick up CO on the tip. The influence of NaCl on the self-assembly of [6]H was ruled out, as demonstrated in the Supplementary Information (SI).…”

Graphene Nanoribbons: On‐Surface Synthesis and Integration into Electronic Devices

“…[ 98 ] In addition to heterojunctions with two different GNR segments, Pascual and co‐workers and Yu and co‐workers independently described that bonding of a single porphyrin molecule with magnetic ions (such as Fe 2+ ions) to the end of a GNR could afford a new kind of heterojunction (Figure 6g). [ 113,115 ] This covalently connected heterojunction extended the electronic conjugation of the ribbon into the connected porphyrin. The spin state was preserved, while the magnetic anisotropy was modified depending on the contact configuration of the heterojunction.…”

Atomically precise graphene nanoribbons: interplay of structural and electronic properties

“…89 Although research has in the beginning focused mainly on GNR-GNR junctions, a recent trend is co-deposition of small molecules to form heterostructures. [226][227][228][229] Porphyrin derivatives are promising in this respect, as their central metal atom can be selected such that they possess a spin-polarized ground state. In addition, it has been shown that this spin state survives when contacted with GNRs (Fig.…”