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Synthesis and study of graphenic materials

Stage M2
France
January 31 2025
February 3 2025
6 month
2025-synthesis-and-study-of-graphenic-materials-en
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Domain, Specialties : CHEMISTRY
Keywords:
Organic chemistry

Research Unit : NIMBE / LICSEN

Synthesis and study of graphenic materials

Summary

The term graphene covers a whole family of materials. In this internship, we propose to build by organic synthesis methods graphene nanoparticles for the study of their optical properties and which can serve as a basic brick for the realization of graphene materials.

Full description

Since the discovery of graphene, a great attention has been paid on the fabrication of graphene related materials such as graphene nanoparticles[1,2] and nanoribbons[3-5] using the “bottom-up” approach. This approach, based on organic chemistry and the synthesis of giant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), is the only way to control structure at the atomic level, enabling electronic properties to be precisely linked to the structure (size, symmetries, edge shape, etc.) of nanographenes.

While the photophysics of hexabenzocoronene derivatives is relatively well known,[6] almost no advanced optical characterization has been performed on larger structures. In 2018, we reported single-molecule spectroscopy experiments on the so-called superphenalene molecules C96(C12H25)6.[7] We showed that triangular-shaped nanoparticles are efficient and stable single-photon emitters at room and cryogenic temperatures.[8-9] More recently we synthesized a family of elongated nanoparticles containing up to 132 sp2-hybridized carbon atoms. These nanoparticles exhibit exceptional optical properties, such as quantum yields close to 100% and the emission of single photons[10,11].

This project aims to answer the following scientific questions: at what size do conjugated molecules start to behave like solids? Is there new physics at intermediate scales, or is the transition abrupt? To answer these questions, we will gradually increase the length and width of nanoparticles through controlled synthesis, and follow the evolution of photophysical properties step by step until we reach the situation where the spatial coherence of the exciton is smaller than the size of the particle.

The topic of this internship is molecular chemistry. Classical chemistry techniques will be used (chemistry fume hoods, inert atmosphere, vacuum/argon Schlenk ramp, etc.). Materials will be characterized by NMR spectroscopy, UV-Vis-NIR abs., photoluminescence spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF). For this project, the candidate should have a solid background and a strong taste for organic chemistry. The study of the photophysical properties of materials will be carried out in collaboration with the Lumière, Matière et Interfaces (LuMIn) laboratory at ENS and Univ. Paris-Saclay.

References:

  1. Wu, J.; Pisula, W.; Müllen, K. Chem. Rev. 2007, 107, 718.
  2. Narita, A.; Wang, X. Y.; Feng, X.; Müllen, K. Chem. Soc. Rev. 2015, 44, 6616.
  3. Pijeat, J.; Lauret, J.-S.; Campidelli, S. “Bottom-up approach for the synthesis of graphene nanoribbons”. In Graphene Nanoribbons, Brey, L., Seneor, P., Tejeda, A., Eds.; IOP Publishing Ltd: 2020; p 2.1-2.25.
  4. Niu, W.; Ma, J.; Feng, X. Acc. Chem. Res. 2022, 55, 3322.
  5. Chen, Z.; Narita, A.; Müllen, K. Adv. Mater. 2020, 32, 2001893.
  6. Haines, P.; Reger, D.; Träg, J.; Strauss, V.; Lungerich, D.; Zahn, D.; Jux, N.; Guldi, D. M. Nanoscale 2021, 13, 801.
  7. Zhao, S.; Lavie, J.; Rondin, L.; Orcin-Chaix, L.; Diederichs, C.; Roussignol, P.; Chassagneux, Y.; Voisin, C.; Müllen, K.; Narita, A.; Campidelli, S.; Lauret, J.-S. Nat. Commun. 2018, 9, 3470.
  8. Liu, T.; Tonnelé, C.; Zhao, S.; Rondin, L.; Elias, C.; Medina-Lopez, D.; Okuno, H.; Narita, A.; Chassagneux, Y.; Voisin, C.; Campidelli, S.; Beljonne, D.; Lauret, J.-S. Nanoscale 2022, 14, 3826.
  9. Liu, T.; Carles, B.; Elias, C.; Tonnelé, C.; Medina-Lopez, D.; Narita, A.; Chassagneux, Y.; Voisin, C.; Beljonne, D.; Campidelli, S.; Rondin, L.; Lauret, J.-S. J. Chem. Phys. 2022, 156, 104302.
  10. Medina-Lopez, D.; Liu, T.; Osella, S.; Levy-Falk, H.; Rolland, N.; Elias, C.; Huber, G.; Ticku, P.; Rondin, L.; Beljonne, D.; Lauret, J.-S.; Campidelli, S. Nat. Commun. 2023, 14, 4728.
  11. Levy-Falk, H.; Capelle, O.; Liu, T.; Medina-Lopez, D.; Deleporte, E.; Campidelli, S.; Rondin, L.; Lauret, J.-S. Phys. Status Solidi B 2023, 260, 2300310.

Location

Saclay, France

Internship conditions

  • Internship duration: 6 months
  • Level of study: Bac+5
  • Training: Master 2
  • Continuation in PhD thesis: Yes
  • Application deadline: 3 février 2025

Experimental skills

Useful methods and technics:
Organic synthesis, NMR, Mass spectrometry, absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy

Langue : Anglais

Links

Site web du laboratoire : iramis.cea.fr/nimbe/licsen

Supervisor

Tuteur

Stéphane CAMPIDELLI
Phone: +33 1 69 08 51 34
Email :

Head of the laboratory NIMBE / LICSEN

Frédéric OSWALD
Phone: