Synthesis of Nonplanar Graphene Nanoribbon with Fjord Edges

As a new family of semiconductors, graphene nanoribbons (GNRs), nanometer-wide strips of graphene, have appeared as promising candidates for next-generation nanoelectronics. Out-of-plane deformation of p-frames in GNRs brings further opportunities for optical and electronic property tuning. Here we demonstrate a novel fjord-edged GNR (FGNR) with a nonplanar geometry obtained by regioselective cyclodehydrogenation. Triphenanthro-fused teropyrene 1 and pentaphenanthro-fused quateropyrene 2 were synthesized as model compounds, and single-crystal X-ray analysis revealed their helically twisted conformations arising from the [5]helicene substructures. The structures and photophysical properties of FGNR were investigated by mass spectrometry and UV-vis, FT-IR, terahertz, and Raman spectroscopic analyses combined with theoretical calculations.

Automated summary

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs), as a new family of semiconductors, offer promising opportunities for tuning optical and electronic properties. The novel fjord-edged GNR (FGNR) with nonplanar geometry was synthesized and characterized through various spectroscopic analyses, providing insights into its structural and photophysical properties.