Abstract
Graphene nanoribbons (GNR), can be prepared in bulk quantities for large-area applications by reducing the product from the lengthwise oxidative unzipping of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNT). Recently, the biomaterials application of GNR has been explored, for example, in the pore to be used for DNA sequencing. Therefore, understanding the polymer behavior of GNR in solution is essential in predicting GNR interaction with biomaterials. Here, we report experimental studies of the solution-based mechanical properties of GNR and their parent products, graphene oxide nanoribbons (GONR). We used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study their mechanical properties in solution and showed that GNR and GONR have similar force-extension behavior as in biopolymers such as proteins and DNA. The rigidity increases with reducing chemical functionalities. The similarities in rigidity and tunability between nanoribbons and biomolecules might enable the design and fabrication of GNR-biomimetic interfaces.
Highlights
Nanoscale materials for biological application must be able to function properly in solution and interact favorably with biological nanomaterials
We characterize the mechanical properties of Graphene nanoribbons (GNR) and their parent products, graphene oxide nanoribbons (GONR), in aqueous solution by using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and have observed a unique mechanical behavior of these materials
The AFM tip was brought into contact with the gold substrate and random segments of the GNR were stretched in aqueous solution at a pulling rate of 1 μm/s
Summary
Nanoscale materials for biological application must be able to function properly in solution and interact favorably with biological nanomaterials. Graphene and related structures are emerging as potential biomaterials for a variety of applications[1], so how their properties change in a biological environment will be crucial for the design and optimization of these materials with desired functionalities[2,3,4,5]. Due to the one-dimensional like conformation of nanoribbons, we used experimental and analysis techniques similar to those used for the one-dimensional biological polymers. These experimental results suggested that signatures in the force curves may be affected by the wrinkles, loops, spirals, or other deformations in GNR. Understanding the mechanical properties of the nanoribbons in solution will aid in the design and fabrication of GNR-biomimetic interfaces
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