Soluble graphene nanostructures and assemblies therefrom

摘要

Disclosed herein is a method for preparing large soluble graphenes. The method comprises attaching one or more hindering groups to the graphene, which can prevent face-to-face graphene stacking by reducing the effects of inter-graphene attraction. The large graphenes can absorb a wide spectrum of light from UV to near infrared, and are useful in photovoltaic devices and sensitizers in nanocrystalline solar cells.

主权项

1. A composition comprising a population of graphene quantum dots, the quantum dots comprising graphene having a sheet structure, wherein the sheet structure has a sheet length from about 1 nanometer to about 4 nanometers and a sheet width from about 0.05 nanometers to about 5 nanometers, and an encapsulating means for solubilizing the graphene to prevent aggregation so that the population of graphene quantum dots remains solvated in a solution, wherein the encapsulating means comprises a steric hindering group of the formulacovalently linked to the graphene, wherein A1, A2 and A3 are each independently alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, or cycloheteroalkyl, and wherein the encapsulating means forms a three-dimensional cage structure.