Functionalized graphene and targeted applications – Highlighting the road from chemistry to applications

Chemical functionalization of graphene aims at tailoring its properties and to promote its use in an array of different application fields through the attachment of different functional groups. In this review, we attempt to detail the major synthetic routes that are employed for the covalent functionalization of graphene. Additionally, we aim to present the different applications that chemically-tailored graphene has shown potential uses such as in optoelectonics, photocatalysis and nanomedicine alongside the performance of the hybrid materials in said fields. We aspire that the interested readers will find, not only, the general synthetic rules towards functionalization of graphene nanoparticles but, more importantly, guidance and inspiration on the trends for the specific choice of organic addends towards applications of interest.