Patterning Nanoroads and Quantum Dots on Fluorinated Graphene

TL;DR

This study uses ab initio methods to explore fluorinated graphene's phases, revealing its potential as a matrix for patterning nanoroads and quantum dots with tunable electronic properties.

Contribution

It demonstrates the formation of stable fluorinated graphene phases and their application in patterning nanostructures with controllable electronic and magnetic characteristics.

Findings

Fluorinated graphene forms thermodynamically stable phases.

Fluorinated graphene can host patterned nanoroads and quantum dots.

Quantum dot energy gaps depend on size and edge orientation.

Abstract

Using ab initio methods we have investigated the fluorination of graphene and find that different stoichiometric phases can be formed without a nucleation barrier, with the complete "2D-Teflon" CF phase being thermodynamically most stable. The fluorinated graphene is an insulator and turns out to be a perfect matrix-host for patterning nanoroads and quantum dots of pristine graphene. The electronic and magnetic properties of the nanoroads can be tuned by varying the edge orientation and width. The energy gaps between the highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (HOMO-LUMO) of quantum dots are size-dependent and show a confinement typical of Dirac fermions. Furthermore, we study the effect of different basic coverage of F on graphene (with stoichiometries CF and C$_{4}$F) on the band gaps, and show the suitability of these materials to host quantum dots of graphene with unique electronic properties.