part 1 part 2

We have demonstrated the functionalization of epitaxial graphene with nitrophenyl groups.  The chemical formation of covalent carbon-carbon bonds involving the basal plane carbon atoms offers an alternative approach to the control of the electronic properties of graphene; the transformation of the carbon centers from sp2 to sp3 introduces a barrier to electron flow by saturating the carbon atoms and opening a band gap which potentially allows the generation of insulating and semiconducting regions in graphene wafers.  In this talk I will discuss our work on the electrical and thermal conductivities of graphite nanoplatelets and recent results on the electronic and magnetic properties of chemically modified graphene.