Synthetic Tailoring of Graphene Nanostructures with Zigzag‐Edged Topologies: Progress and Perspectives

Abstract

Both experimental and theoretical investigations have revealed that the chemical and physical properties of graphene are crucially determined by their topological structures. Therefore, the atomically precise synthesis of graphene nanostructures is essential for studying their fundamental physiochemical properties as well as their introduction in promising applications. Among the large family of graphene nanostructures, those containing rich or fully zigzag‐edged structures exhibit unique electronic, magnetic, and optoelectronic properties owing to their spin‐polarized edge state. Prominent examples include the open‐shell biradical peri‐tetracene, π‐extended triangulene with triradicals, and fully zigzag‐edged graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with localized edge states. Recent progress in the development of synthetic methodologies and strategies as well as characterization methods has rendered access to this class of unprecedented graphene nanostructures with rich zigzag edges, which used to be a purely molecular objective in theoretical chemistry. Thus, clear insight into the structure‐property relationships has become possible before exploring future applications in organic carbon‐based electronic and spintronic devices. In this minireview, we discuss the recent progress in the controlled synthesis of zigzag‐edged graphene nanostructures with different topologies through a bottom‐up synthetic strategy.