On-surface Synthesis of Low-dimensional Graphene Nanomaterials
Junfa Zhu
National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China
CIC nanoGUNE Seminar room, Tolosa Hiribidea 76, Donostia-San Sebastian
Nacho Pascual
The low-dimensional graphene nanomaterials might have intriguing electronic properties and open exciting possibilities in the field of functional materials. By using rationally designed precursor molecules, on-surface synthesis (OSS) approach has emerged as a powerful platform for the synthesis of low-dimensional graphene-based nanostructures with atomic precision. In this presentation, we report our recent work on the synthesis of low-dimensional graphene nanoribbons and nanosheets with different topological structures on metal surfaces. The systems include one-dimensional graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) containing periodic [14]annulene pores on Ag(111) and the two-dimensional graphene nanosheets containing periodic [30]annulene pores on Au(111) [1], nonplanar [32]annulene porous carbon-based network on Au(111) [2] and graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) incorporating 5/7/5 ring motifs on Au(111) [3] and Janus armchair GNRs[4]. With the combination of the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), synchrotron radiation photoemission spectroscopy (SRPES) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we identified the reaction products, intermediates precisely, and obtained insights into the reaction mechanism.
References:
[1] Tianchen Qin, Dezhou Guo, Juanjuan Xiong, Xingyu Li, Lei Hu, Weishan Yang, Zijie Chen, Yulun Wu, Honghe Ding, Jun Hu, Qian Xu, Tao Wang*, and Junfa Zhu*, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, e202306368.
[2] Tianchen Qin, Fei Gao, Yulun Wu, Baiyao Liang, Lei Hu, Weishan Yang, Honghe Ding, Jun Hu, Qian Xu, Dezhou Guo, Tao Wang*, Junfa Zhu*, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025, e202504734..
[3] Zijie Chen, Jianmin Huang, Qifan Chen, Yulun Wu, Xi Chen, Dong Han, Weishan Yang, Honghe Ding, Jun Hu, Qian Xu, Changzheng Wu, Qitang Fan,* Pavel Jelínek,* Junfa Zhu, J. Am. Chem Soc., 2025, 147, 44941-44949.
[4] Yulun Wu, Jianmin Huang, Qifan Chen, Zijie Chen, Xi Chen, Tianchen Qin, Weishan Yang, Jun Hu, Honghe Ding, Qian Xu, Yuqiao Guo, Changzheng Wu*, Pavel Jelinek*, Qitang Fan*, Junfa Zhu*, to be submitted.
Dr. Junfa Zhu is currently a chair professor in National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (NSRL), University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). He received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from USTC in 1999. After working in the Institute of Experimental Physics, Johannes-Kepler-Universität Linz, Austria with Prof. Peter Zeppenfeld (200-2001), Lehrstuhl für Physikalische Chemie II, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany with Prof. Hans-Peter Steinrück (2001-2003) and Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, WA, USA with Prof. Charles T. Campbell (2003-2006), he returned to USTC in December, 2006, and become a professor at NSRL, USTC under the support of “Hundred Talent Program” of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Besides the construction of synchrotron radiation soft X-ray spectroscopy endstations in Hefei Light Source, his research interests mainly focus on in-situ studies of surface chemistry, surface and interface structures and properties of functional materials using advanced surface science techniques including synchrotron radiation techniques. He has authored/coauthored more than 500 peer-reviewed papers with more than 50,000 citations. His current H-index is 115. He serves as the Editor-in-chief of Advanced Characterization, editor of Surface Science Reports and Surface Science, the editorial advisory board of J. Phys. Chem. Lett and Acta Phys. -Chim. Sin., and special issue editor of Commun. Chem., ChemPhysChem and J. Phys. Condens. Matter