Impact of graphyne on structural and dynamical properties of calmodulin

Carbon-based nanomaterials such as graphyne, graphene, and carbon nanotubes have attracted considerable attention for their applications, but questions remain regarding their biosafety through potential adverse interactions with important biomolecules.

Extraordinarily Durable Graphdiyne-Supported Electrocatalyst with High Activity for Hydrogen Production at All Values of pH

We have used a scalable and inexpensive method to prepare a catalyst comprising graphdiyne nanosheet-supported cobalt nanoparticles wrapped by N-doped carbon (CoNC/GD); this unprecedentedly durable electrocatalyst mediated the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with highly catalytic activity over all values of pH. The durability of the CoNC/GD structure was evidenced by the catalytic performance being preserved over 36 000, 38 000, and 9000 cycles under basic, acidic, and neutral conditions, respectively-behavior superior to that of commercial Pt/C (10 wt %) under respective conditions. Such long-term durability has rarely been reported previously for HER catalysts. In addition, this electrode displayed excellent catalytic activity because the improved physical/chemical properties facilitated electron transfer in the composite. The combination of high durability and high activity at all values of pH for this nonprecious metal catalyst suggests great suitability for practical water splitting.

Nitrogen-Doped Graphdiyne Applied for Lithium-Ion Storage

The elemental N emerged uniformly in graphdiyne (GDY) after heat treatment under NH3 atmosphere to form N-doping GDY. The interplanar N-GDY distance decreased slightly, which may be ascribed to the smaller atom radius of N than C. Compared with GDY, the introduction of N atoms in N-GDY created numerous heteroatomic defects and active sites, thus achieving enhanced electrochemical properties, including higher reversible capacity, improved rate performance, and superior cycling stability. In addition, N-doping might be advantageous to minimize the surface side reactions and form stable interfaces, hence improving the electrochemical cycling stability of N-GDY electrodes. These results indicate N-doping is also an efficient way for improving the electrochemical performance of GDY materials.

Carbon-atom wires: 1-D systems with tunable properties

This review provides a discussion of the current state of research on linear carbon structures and related materials based on sp-hybridization of carbon atoms (polyynes and cumulenes). We show that such systems have widely tunable properties and thus represent an intriguing and mostly unexplored field for both fundamental and applied sciences. We discuss the rich interplay between the structural, vibrational, and electronic properties focusing on recent advances and the future perspectives of carbon-atom wires and novel hybrid sp-sp(2)-carbon architectures.

Diffusion and self-assembly of C60 molecules on monolayer graphyne sheets

The motion of a fullerene (C₆₀) on 5 different types of graphyne is studied by all-atom molecular dynamics simulations and compared with former studies on the motion of C₆₀ on graphene. The motion shows a diffusive behavior which consists of either a continuous motion or discrete movements between trapping sites depending on the type of the graphyne sheet. For graphyne-4 and graphyne-5, fullerenes could detach from the surface of the graphyne sheet at room temperature which was not reported for similar cases on graphene sheets. Collective motion of a group of fullerenes interacting with a graphyne studied and it is shown that fullerenes exhibit stable assemblies. Depending on the type of graphyne, these assemblies can have either single or double layers. The mobility of the assembled structures is also dependent on the type of the graphyne sheet. The observed properties of the motion suggests novel applications for the complexes of fullerene and monolayer graphynes.

Categorical prototyping: incorporating molecular mechanisms into 3D printing

We apply the mathematical framework of category theory to articulate the precise relation between the structure and mechanics of a nanoscale system in a macroscopic domain. We maintain the chosen molecular mechanical properties from the nanoscale to the continuum scale. Therein we demonstrate a procedure to 'protoype a model', as category theory enables us to maintain certain information across disparate fields of study, distinct scales, or physical realizations. This process fits naturally with prototyping, as a prototype is not a complete product but rather a reduction to test a subset of properties. To illustrate this point, we use large-scale multi-material printing to examine the scaling of the elastic modulus of 2D carbon allotropes at the macroscale and validate our printed model using experimental testing. The resulting hand-held materials can be examined more readily, and yield insights beyond those available in the original digital representations. We demonstrate this concept by twisting the material, a test beyond the scope of the original model. The method developed can be extended to other methods of additive manufacturing.

First-principles prediction of a new planar hydrocarbon material: half-hydrogenated 14,14,14-graphyne

A new strictly planar semiconducting hydrocarbon, formed by hydrogenating half of the sp-hybridized carbon atoms in 14,14,14-graphyne, is predicted.

Novel hollow all-carbon structures

A new family of cavernous all-carbon structures is proposed. These molecular cage structures are constructed by edge subdivisions and leapfrog transformations from cubic polyhedra or their duals. The obtained structures were then optimized at the density functional level. These hollow carbon structures represent a new class of carbon allotropes which could lead to many interesting applications.

Thermoelectric effects in graphene nanostructures

The thermoelectric properties of graphene and graphene nanostructures have recently attracted significant attention from the physics and engineering communities. In fundamental physics, the analysis of Seebeck and Nernst effects is very useful in elucidating some details of the electronic band structure of graphene that cannot be probed by conductance measurements alone, due in particular to the ambipolar nature of this gapless material. For applications in thermoelectric energy conversion, graphene has two major disadvantages. It is gapless, which leads to a small Seebeck coefficient due to the opposite contributions of electrons and holes, and it is an excellent thermal conductor. The thermoelectric figure of merit ZT of a two-dimensional (2D) graphene sheet is thus very limited. However, many works have demonstrated recently that appropriate nanostructuring and bandgap engineering of graphene can concomitantly strongly reduce the lattice thermal conductance and enhance the Seebeck coefficient without dramatically degrading the electronic conductance. Hence, in various graphene nanostructures, ZT has been predicted to be high enough to make them attractive for energy conversion. In this article, we review the main results obtained experimentally and theoretically on the thermoelectric properties of graphene and its nanostructures, emphasizing the physical effects that govern these properties. Beyond pure graphene structures, we discuss also the thermoelectric properties of some hybrid graphene structures, as graphane, layered carbon allotropes such as graphynes and graphdiynes, and graphene/hexagonal boron nitride heterostructures which offer new opportunities. Finally, we briefly review the recent activities on other atomically thin 2D semiconductors with finite bandgap, i.e. dichalcogenides and phosphorene, which have attracted great attention for various kinds of applications, including thermoelectrics.

Self-catalyzed growth of large-area nanofilms of two-dimensional carbon

The graphdiyne (GD), a carbon allotrope with a 2D structure comprising benzene rings and carbon–carbon triple bonds, can be synthesized through cross-coupling on the surface of copper foil. The key problem is in understanding the dependence of layers number and properties, however, the controlled growth of the layers numbers of GD film have not been demonstrated, its controlled growth into large-area and high ordered films with different numbers of layers is still an important challenge. Here, we show that a new strategy for synthesizing GD films with 2D nanostructures on ZnO nanorod arrays through a combination of reduction and a self-catalyzed vapor–liquid–solid growth process, using GD powder as the vapor source and ZnO nanorod arrays as the substrate. HRTEM shows the distance between pairs of streaks being approximately 0.365 nm by different thicknesses of GD films. The approach enables us to construct large-area ordered semiconductive films with high-quality surfaces showing high conductivity (up to 2800 S cm⁻¹). FETs were fabricated based on the well ordered films; we prepared and measured over 100 devices. Devices incorporating these well-ordered and highly conductive GD films exhibited field-effect mobility as high as 100 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹.

Bulk graphdiyne powder applied for highly efficient lithium storage

Bulk graphdiyne powder with porous structure was synthesized and applied for highly efficient lithium storage, exhibiting excellent electrochemical performance.

Electronic and optical properties of pristine and boron–nitrogen doped graphyne nanotubes

The band gaps and optical responses of graphyne nanotubes can be engineered through the selection of the BN doping site and the chirality.

Nitrogen-doped graphdiyne as a metal-free catalyst for high-performance oxygen reduction reactions

Fuel cells and metal-air batteries will only become widely available in everyday life when the expensive platinum-based electrocatalysts used for the oxygen reduction reactions are replaced by other efficient, low-cost and stable catalysts. We report here the use of nitrogen-doped graphdiyne as a metal-free electrode with a comparable electrocatalytic activity to commercial Pt/C catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline fuel cells. Nitrogen-doped graphdiyne has a better stability and increased tolerance to the cross-over effect than conventional Pt/C catalysts.

Water permeation through single-layer graphyne membrane

We report the molecular dynamics simulations of spontaneous and continuous permeation of water molecules through a single-layer graphyne-3 membrane. We found that the graphyne-3 membrane is more permeable to water molecules than (5, 5) carbon nanotube membranes of similar pore diameter. The remarkable hydraulic permeability of the single-layer graphyne-3 membrane is attributed to the hydrogen bond formation, which connects the water molecules on both sides of the monolayer graphyne-3 membrane and aids to overcome the resistance of the nanopores, and to the relatively lower energy barrier at the pore entrance. Consequently, the single-layer graphyne-3 membrane has a great potential for application as membranes for desalination of sea water, filtration of polluted water, etc.

Vibrational and thermodynamic properties of α-, β-, γ-, and 6, 6, 12-graphyne structures

Electronic, vibrational, and thermodynamic properties of different graphyne structures, namely α-, β-, γ-, and 6, 6, 12-graphyne, are investigated through first principles-based quasi-harmonic approximation by using phonon dispersions predicted from density-functional perturbation theory. Similar to graphene, graphyne was shown to exhibit a structure with extraordinary electronic features, mechanical hardness, thermal resistance, and very high conductivity from different calculation methods. Hence, characterizing its phonon dispersions and vibrational and thermodynamic properties in a systematic way is of great importance for both understanding its fundamental molecular properties and also figuring out its phase stability issues at different temperatures. Thus, in this research work, thermodynamic stability of different graphyne allotropes is assessed by investigating vibrational properties, lattice thermal expansion coefficients, and Gibbs free energy. According to our results, although the imaginary vibrational frequencies exist for β-graphyne, there is no such a negative behavior for α-, γ-, and 6, 6, 12-graphyne structures. In general, the Grüneisen parameters and linear thermal expansion coefficients of these structures are calculated to be rather more negative when compared to those of the graphene structure. In addition, the predicted difference between the binding energies per atom for the structures of graphene and graphyne points out that graphyne networks have relatively lower phase stability in comparison with the graphene structures.

Penetration Barrier of Water through Graphynes' Pores: First-Principles Predictions and Force Field Optimization

Graphynes are novel two-dimensional carbon-based materials that have been proposed as molecular filters, especially for water purification technologies. We carry out first-principles electronic structure calculations at the MP2C level of theory to assess the interaction between water and graphyne, graphdiyne, and graphtriyne pores. The computed penetration barriers suggest that water transport is unfeasible through graphyne while being unimpeded for graphtriyne. For graphdiyne, with a pore size almost matching that of water, a low barrier is found that in turn disappears if an active hydrogen bond with an additional water molecule on the opposite side of the opening is considered. Thus, in contrast with previous determinations, our results do not exclude graphdiyne as a promising membrane for water filtration. In fact, present calculations lead to water permeation probabilities that are 2 orders of magnitude larger than estimations based on common force fields. A new pair potential for the water-carbon noncovalent component of the interaction is proposed for molecular dynamics simulations involving graphdiyne and water.

Graphdiyne and graphyne: from theoretical predictions to practical construction

Flat carbon (sp(2) and sp) networks endow the graphdiyne and graphyne families with high degrees of π-conjunction, uniformly distributed pores, and tunable electronic properties; therefore, these materials are attracting much attention from structural, theoretical, and synthetic scientists wishing to take advantage of their promising electronic, optical, and mechanical properties. In this Review, we summarize a state-of-the-art research into graphdiynes and graphynes, with a focus on the latest theoretical and experimental results. In addition to the many theoretical predictions of the potential properties of graphdiynes and graphynes, we also discuss experimental attempts to synthesize and apply graphdiynes in the areas of electronics, photovoltaics, and catalysis.

Glaser–Eglinton–Hay sp–sp coupling and macrocyclization: construction of a new class of polyether macrocycles having a 1,3-diyne unit

Glaser–Eglinton–Hay-type sp–sp coupling, macrocyclization and assembly of skeletally interesting 1,3-diyne unit-based crown ether/polyether macrocycles are presented.

Copper immobilized on nano-silica triazine dendrimer (Cu(ii)-TD@nSiO2) catalyzed synthesis of symmetrical and unsymmetrical 1,3-diynes under aerobic conditions at ambient temperature

Highly efficient synthesis of symmetrical and unsymmetrical 1,3-diynes catalyzed by Cu(ii)-TD@nSiO₂/DBU is reported.

Identifying sp–sp2 carbon materials by Raman and infrared spectroscopies

This work provides important clues for synthesizing and characterizing 2D sp–sp² carbon materials by combining Raman and IR spectroscopies.

Graphyne as the membrane for water desalination

Permeation through membrane with pores is important in the choice of materials for filtration and separation techniques. Here, we report by the molecular dynamics simulations that a single-layer graphyne membrane can be impermeable to salt ions, while it allows the permeation of water molecules. The salt rejection and water permeability of graphyne are closely related to the hydrostatic pressure, type of graphyne membrane, and the salt concentration of solution, respectively. By analyzing hydration shell structure, we found that the average coordination number of ions plays a key role in water purification. Our calculation showed that the salt rejection of the graphyne-3 membrane is the best and it can keep an ideal rate of 100% in consideration cases. In comprehensive evaluation of both salt rejection and permeability, the graphyne-4 is a perfect purification membrane. To sum up, our results indicated that the graphynes (graphyne-3 and -4) not only have higher salt rejection but also possess higher water permeability which is several orders of magnitude higher than conventional reverse osmosis membranes. The single-layer graphyne membrane may have a great potential application as a membrane for water purification.

Exceptionally fast water desalination at complete salt rejection by pristine graphyne monolayers

Desalination that produces clean freshwater from seawater holds the promise of solving the global water shortage for drinking, agriculture and industry. However, conventional desalination technologies such as reverse osmosis and thermal distillation involve large amounts of energy consumption, and the semipermeable membranes widely used in reverse osmosis face the challenge to provide a high throughput at high salt rejection. Here we find by comprehensive molecular dynamics simulations and first principles modeling that pristine graphyne, one of the graphene-like one-atom-thick carbon allotropes, can achieve 100% rejection of nearly all ions in seawater including Na(+), Cl(-), Mg(2+), K(+) and Ca(2+), at an exceptionally high water permeability about two orders of magnitude higher than those for commercial state-of-the-art reverse osmosis membranes at a salt rejection of ~98.5%. This complete ion rejection by graphyne, independent of the salt concentration and the operating pressure, is revealed to be originated from the significantly higher energy barriers for ions than for water. This intrinsic specialty of graphyne should provide a new possibility for the efforts to alleviate the global shortage of freshwater and other environmental problems.

Quantized water transport: ideal desalination through graphyne-4 membrane

Graphyne sheet exhibits promising potential for nanoscale desalination to achieve both high water permeability and salt rejection rate. Extensive molecular dynamics simulations on pore-size effects suggest that γ-graphyne-4, with 4 acetylene bonds between two adjacent phenyl rings, has the best performance with 100% salt rejection and an unprecedented water permeability, to our knowledge, of ~13 L/cm(2)/day/MPa, 3 orders of magnitude higher than prevailing commercial membranes based on reverse osmosis, and ~10 times higher than the state-of-the-art nanoporous graphene. Strikingly, water permeability across graphyne exhibits unexpected nonlinear dependence on the pore size. This counter-intuitive behavior is attributed to the quantized nature of water flow at the nanoscale, which has wide implications in controlling nanoscale water transport and designing highly effective membranes.

Two-dimensional carbon compounds derived from graphyne with chemical properties superior to those of graphene

Computational studies considering both thermodynamic and kinetic aspects revealed that graphyne, a carbon material that has recently been of increasing interest, favours unprecedented homogeneous “in-plane” addition reactions. The addition of dichlorocarbene to the C(sp)-C(sp) bond, a site with outstanding regioselectivity in graphyne, proceeds via a stepwise mechanism. Due to their homogeneous nature, additions occurring at C(sp)-C(sp) bonds yield structurally ordered two-dimensional carbon compounds (2DCCs). 2DCCs have electronic band structures near the Fermi level that are similar to those of graphene and are either electrically semi-conductive or metallic depending on whether the reactions break the hexagonal symmetry. Notably, 2DCCs can be further functionalised through substitution reactions with little damage to the extended π-electron conjugation system. These results suggest that 2DCCs derived from graphyne have physical properties comparable to those of graphene and chemical properties superior to those of graphene. Therefore, 2DCCs are expected to be better suited to practical applications.

Tight-binding description of graphyne and its two-dimensional derivatives

We investigated band structures of α-graphyne and its derivative two-dimensional carbon compounds (2DCCs) via tight-binding approximations with "two-site" and "all-atom" models. The renormalized "two-site" model captures the band-gap features of α-graphyne and 2DCCs. This model suggests ways of tuning the band gaps of graphynes, namely, by adding adatoms or substituting the vertex sp(2) carbons with heteroatom. Because the "two-site" model cannot accurately reproduce first-principles results over a large range of wave vectors, we derived an "all-atom" model, which includes all pz orbitals in a unit cell. All atom tight-binding calculations show improved performances in describing the DFT band structures, and reveal that the flat bands in DFT band structures are mainly ascribed to the pz orbitals of the edge carbons. The results will help to uncover the underlying mechanisms of the band features of graphyne and 2DCCs and to design other graphyne- or graphdiyne-based 2DCCs for applications in the future.

Graphene-related nanomaterials: tuning properties by functionalization

In this review, we discuss the most recent progress on graphene-related nanomaterials, including doped graphene and derived graphene nanoribbons, graphene oxide, graphane, fluorographene, graphyne, graphdiyne, and porous graphene, from both experimental and theoretical perspectives, and emphasize tuning their stability, electronic and magnetic properties by chemical functionalization.

Porous conjugated polymer nanotip arrays for highly stable field emitter

Large area (26.7 cm2) nanotip arrays of porous conducting poly [5, 10, 15, 20-tetra (4-ethynylphenyl) porphyrin] diyne (TEPPD) have been successfully fabricated by an in situ cross-coupling reaction on the surface of the copper foil, which will open a new routine for large-area nanofabrication of porous conducting polymer on a conducting substrate. The surface-area of TEPPD nanotip arrays is up to 146 m2/g. Interestingly, the nanotip arrays of TEPPD display a good field-emission property and exhibit a better stability of field emission than that of organic and polymeric nanostructures because of the good heat radiation of porous, which is comparable to some important nanostructures of inorganic semiconductor. The porous conducting polymer could be used for new field-emission emitter and other molecular electronic devices.