Graphene band gap modification via functionalization with metal-bis-arene molecules

Graphene continues to draw immense interest because of its unusual electronic and spin properties resulting from a simple structure composed of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a two-dimensional honeycomb pattern [1,2]. These properties, including the ballistic carrier transport and quantum Hall effect, make it a promising candidate as a building block of future nanoelectronic devices and as a possible replacement for silicon [3,4]. In spite of graphene’s amazing properties, there are some obstacles that need to be overcome before it can be considered as a viable candidate to replace silicon. The main barrier is the absence of a band gap. Therefore, producing a band gap is probably one of the most important challenges that must be addressed before graphene can ultimately enable practical applications ranging from digital electronics to infrared nanophotonics.