Chemical functionalization of graphene by carbene cycloaddition: A density functional theory study

Abstract

Abstract In this work, we have systematically studied the structural, energetic and electronic properties of graphene functionalized with carbene groups by using density functional theory. Introducing a low concentration of CCl 2 group in graphene was studied in detail by DFT, and closed cyclopropane-like three-membered ring structure was formed, meanwhile, the potential candidate carbene groups CR 2 (R = H, F, CH 3 , CN, NO 2 , OCH 3 , CCH, C 6 H 5 ) were added to graphene sheet, and CR 2 (R = H, NO 2 , CH 3 ) groups were expected to be good reactive species to covalently modify graphene. The graphene functionalization with carbene groups above can open graphene's band gap. More CCl 2 molecules were added to graphene, and different concentrations of CCl 2 group can tune graphene's band gap. In addition, the addition of CCl 2 group to graphene edges was investigated, and the stronger binding energy was found. Multiple CCl 2 molecules preferred to be bound with the same edge of graphene nanoribbon. This work provides an insight into the detailed molecular mechanism of graphene functionalization with carbene groups.