Self‐Assembled Functionalized Graphene Nanoribbons from Carbon Nanotubes

Graphene nanoribbons (GNR) were generated in ethanol solution by unzipping pyrrolidine‐functionalized carbon nanotubes under mild conditions. Evaporation of the solvent resulted in regular few‐layer stacks of graphene nanoribbons observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X‐ray diffraction. The experimental interlayer distance (0.49–0.56 nm) was confirmed by computer modelling (0.51 nm). Computer modelling showed that the large interlayer spacing (compared with graphite) is due to the presence of the functional groups and depends on their concentration. Stacked nanoribbons were observed to redissolve upon solvent addition. This preparation method could allow the fine‐tuning of the interlayer distances by controlling the number and/or the nature of the chemical groups in between the graphene layers. Ribbons from tubes: Pyrrolidine‐functionalized graphene nanoribbons were observed to assemble into few‐layer stacks. The interlayer distance was measured by transmission electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction, and calculated by computer modelling, to be approximately 0.5 nm. The nanoribbons were obtained by unzipping of functionalized carbon nanotubes.