On-surface synthesis of nanographenes

In recent years we observe renewed interest in the development of efficient synthetic strategies to generate well-defined sections of graphene or graphene-like modules with diverse topological modifications. However, the reactivity/instability of numerous molecules as well as the insolubility of large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons limits the applications of conventional chemistry methods. An attractive alternative to the solution chemistry is based on its combination with the on-surface synthesis approach. Furthermore the quick development of scanning probe techniques allows nowadays for the sub-nanometer local characterization of structural and electronic properties. Herein I will demonstrate the examples of elusive graphene-based nanometer-scale compounds generated through the on-surface synthetic approach in our laboratories as well as present some pathways and prospects for further development.