Cover Picture: Electron-transfer transparency of graphene: Fast reduction of metal ions on graphene-covered donor surfaces (Phys. Status Solidi RRL 3/2015)

No is available for this article. Graphene is optically transparent due to its one atom‐thick nature. Because it is one‐atom thin, graphene is not only transparent to visible light, but also to other types of interactions. In the work of Jeong et al. (pp. 180–186), the authors show that metal nanoparticles could be formed on graphene‐covered donor substrate via galvanic displacement, and that graphene plays minimal effect on such electron‐transfer mediated reduction of metal ions. Electrons may freely penetrate a graphene layer from the substrate to make chemical reactions. Such “electron‐transfer transparency” is a unique characteristic of graphene that may open a completely new application field for graphene. Graphene could be used as a passivation layer for certain material while preserving its inherent behavior. Also, functionalization of graphene at ambient conditions would be straightforward by engineering the substrate supporting graphene. In the cover image, electrons from Al substrate penetrate a graphene layer, and reduce the Au ions in the solution.