Investigation of plasma-assisted functionalization of pristine single layer graphene

Field-Effect Transistors Based on Single-Layer Graphene and Graphene-Derived Materials

The progress of advanced materials has invoked great interest in promising novel biosensing applications. Field-effect transistors (FETs) are excellent options for biosensing devices due to the variability of the utilized materials and the self-amplifying role of electrical signals. The focus on nanoelectronics and high-performance biosensors has also generated an increasing demand for easy fabrication methods, as well as for economical and revolutionary materials. One of the innovative materials used in biosensing applications is graphene, on account of its remarkable properties, such as high thermal and electrical conductivity, potent mechanical properties, and high surface area to immobilize the receptors in biosensors. Besides graphene, other competing graphene-derived materials (GDMs) have emerged in this field, with comparable properties and improved cost-efficiency and ease of fabrication. In this paper, a comparative experimental study is presented for the first time, for FETs having a channel fabricated from three different graphenic materials: single-layer graphene (SLG), graphene/graphite nanowalls (GNW), and bulk nanocrystalline graphite (bulk-NCG). The devices are investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, and I-V measurements. An increased electrical conductance is observed for the bulk-NCG-based FET, despite its higher defect density, the channel displaying a transconductance of up to ≊4.9×10-3 A V-1, and a charge carrier mobility of ≊2.86×10-4 cm2 V-1 s-1, at a source-drain potential of 3 V. An improvement in sensitivity due to Au nanoparticle functionalization is also acknowledged, with an increase of the ON/OFF current ratio of over four times, from ≊178.95 to ≊746.43, for the bulk-NCG FETs.

Graphene-molecule-graphene single-molecule junctions to detect electronic reactions at the molecular scale

The ability to measure the behavior of a single molecule during a reaction implies the detection of inherent dynamic and static disordered states, which may not be represented when measuring ensemble averages. Here, we describe the building of devices with graphene-molecule-graphene single-molecule junctions integrated into an electrical circuit. These devices are simple to build and are stable, showing tolerance to mechanical changes, solution environment and voltage stimulation. The design of a conductive channel based on a single molecule enables single-molecule detection and is sensitive to variations in physical properties and chemical structures of the detected molecules. The on-chip setup of single-molecule junctions further offers complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatibility, enabling logic functions in circuit elements, as well as deciphering of reaction intermediates. We detail the experimental procedure to prepare graphene transistor arrays as a basis for single-molecule junctions and the preparation of nanogapped carboxyl-terminal graphene electrodes by using electron-beam lithography and oxygen plasma etching. We describe the basic design of a molecular bridge with desired functions and terminals to form covalent bonds with electrode arrays, via a chemical reaction, to construct stably integrated single-molecule devices with a yield of 30-50% per chip. The immobilization of the single molecules is then characterized by using inelastic electron tunneling spectra, single-molecule imaging and fluorescent spectra. The whole protocol can be implemented within 2 weeks and requires users trained in using ultra-clean laboratory facilities and the aforementioned instrumentation.