Tailoring the Electrical Properties of Graphene Layers by Molecular Doping

Abstract

It is an essential issue in graphene-based nanoelectronic and optoelectronic devices to tune the electrical properties of graphene layers, while preserving its unique band structure. Here, we report the tuning of electronic properties of single-, bi-, and trilayer mechanically exfoliated graphenes by p-toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA) molecular doping. Raman spectroscopy and charge transport measurements revealed that PTSA molecule imposes n-doping to single-, bi-, and trilayer graphenes. The shift of G and 2D peak frequencies and intensity ratio of single-, bi-, and trilayer graphenes are analyzed as a function of reaction time. The Dirac point is also analyzed as a function of reaction time indicates the n-type doping effect for all single-, bi-, and trilayer graphenes. Our study demonstrates that chemical modification is a simple approach to tailor the electrical properties of single-, bi-, and trilayer graphenes, while maintaining the important electrical assets.