Achievement

Graphene has a number of exceptional properties, but its uniform two-dimensional structure lacks chemical “handles” for the attachment of molecules. While such handles can be attached covalently, this type of attachment destroys the unique properties of graphene. To develop a new approach to graphene functionalization, IGERT Fellow Jason Mann synthesized tripodal molecules with “feet” to stick to graphene without disrupting any bonds in graphene. Successful binding of the tripods to graphene surfaces was demonstrated in collaboration with IGERT Fellow Cen Tan, a specialist in electrochemical techniques. They demonstrated the importance of the tripodal motif by comparing tripods to structuraly similar monopods which detached 1000 times more quickly. Future generations of tripods will provide a more reproducible platform for single molecule conductance measurements while enabling construction of molecularly well-defined electronic devices ranging from molecular memory to solar cells.