Towards hybrid superlattices in graphene

The controllable and reversible modification of graphene by chemical functionalization can modulate its optical and electronic properties. Here we demonstrate the controlled patterning of graphane/graphene superlattices within a single sheet of graphene. By exchanging the sp3 C–H bonds in graphane with sp3 C–C bonds through functionalization, sophisticated multifunctional superlattices can be fabricated on both the macroscopic and microscopic scales. These patterns are visualized using fluorescence quenching microscopy techniques and confirmed using Raman spectroscopy. By tuning the extent of hydrogenation, the density of the sp3 C functional groups on graphene's basal plane can be controlled from 0.4% to 3.5% with this two-step method. Using such a technique, which allows for both spatial and density control of the functional groups, a route to multifunctional electrical circuits and chemical sensors with specifically patterned recognition sites might be realized across a single graphene sheet, facilitating the development of graphene-based devices.