Thin films of bottom-up synthesized graphene nanoribbons

Bottom-up solution synthetic approaches for graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) receive a great deal of attention, because they yield large quantities of atomically precise GNRs with intriguing electronic and optical properties. However, poor solubility of these GNRs in conventional solvents remains a great challenge and limits their processability for applications in printable electronics, photovoltaics and composite materials. We studied the solubility of solution-synthesized GNRs in chlorosulfonic acid and developed a protocol for thin film fabrication that could be applied for different types of bottom-up synthesized GNRs. The developed procedure also provides control over the thickness of films that can be made as thin as one GNR thick. Reactivity of the GNRs with chlorosulfonic acid and electrical properties of fabricated films will also be discussed.