Electrofluorination and Room-Temperature Doping of Graphene Nanoribbons for Energy Storage Applications

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes undergo a remarkable electrochemical transformation into graphene nanoribbons at room temperature in trifluoromethanesulfonic acid. More specifically, carbon nanotubes undergo oxidative unzipping in the first step in a potentiostatic manner to have several oxygen functionalities in the edges, while the second step ensures reductive transformation to graphene nanoribbons along with doping of fluorine. Such F-doped graphene nanoribbons are important for multifarious applications such as electrocatalysis, molecular electronics, biosensing, optoelectronics, photovoltaics, and energy storage. The open circuit potential of fluorinated graphene nanoribbons against anodes like sodium and lithium in standard battery electrolytes also suggests their potential utility in energy storage applications.