Non-covalent graphene nanobuds from mono- and tripodal binding motifs

Abstract

Graphene nanobuds were prepared via the non-covalent anchoring of C₆₀-based molecules endowed with one or three pyrene units, respectively. TGA, FTIR, UV-Vis and TEM investigations confirmed the formation of nanohybrids. For the two molecular derivatives, striking differences were determined in their interaction with graphene or carbon surfaces by Raman, cyclic voltammetry and molecular mechanics calculations, revealing the important role of pyrene adsorption in modulating the electronic properties of the nanohybrids.