Covalently functionalized graphene derivatives were synthesized via benchmark reductive routes using graphite intercalation compounds (GICs), in particular KC. We have compared the graphene arylation and alkylation of the GIC using 4-tert-butylphenyldiazonium and bis(4-(tert-butyl)phenyl)iodonium salts, as well as phenyl iodide, n-hexyl iodide, and n-dodecyl iodide, as electrophiles in model reactions. We have put a particular focus on the evaluation of the degree of addition and the bulk functionalization homogeneity (H). For this purpose, we have employed statistical Raman spectroscopy (SRS), and a forefront characterization tool using thermogravimetric analysis coupled with FT-IR, gas chromatography, and mass spectrometry (TGA/FT-IR/GC/MS). The present study unambiguously shows that the graphene functionalization using alkyl iodides leads to the best results, in terms of both the degree of addition and the H. Moreover, we have identified the reversible character of the covalent addition chemistry, even at temperatures below 200 °C. The thermally induced addend cleavage proceeds homolytically, which allows for the detection of dimeric cleavage products by TGA/FT-IR/GC/MS. This dimerization points to a certain degree of regioselectivity, leading to a low sheet homogeneity (H). Finally, we developed this concept by performing the reductive alkylation reaction in monolayer CVD graphene films. This work provides important insights into the understanding of basic principles of reductive graphene functionalization and will serve as a guide in the design of new graphene functionalization concepts.

The chemical bulk reductive covalent functionalization of thin-layerb lack phosphorus (BP) using BP intercalation compounds has been developed. Through effective reductive activation, covalent functionalization of the charged BP by reaction with organic alkylh alides is achieved. Functionalization was extensively demonstrated by means of several spectroscopic techniques and DFT calculations;t he products showed higher functionalization degrees than those obtained by neutral routes.Since 2014, two-dimensional (2D) black phosphorus (BP) has attracted tremendous attention throughout the scientific community due to its high p-type charge carrier mobility and its tunable direct band gap. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] In contrast to graphene,B P exhibits amarked puckering of the sp 3 structure,constituting atwo-dimensional s-only system, involving one lone electron pair at each Pa tom. Whereas its outstanding physical and materials properties have been intensively investigated, its chemistry remains almost unexplored. [10][11][12] Indeed, af irst series of noncovalent functionalization protocols has been reported, mainly focused on improving the intrinsic instability of BP against water and oxygen. [13][14][15][16][17] Beyond these approaches,t he covalent functionalization of the interface is one of the most promising routes for fine-tuning the chemical and physical properties of 2D nanomaterials. [18,19] In this sense,only afew recent reports on single-flake chemistry with diazonium salts, [20] and wet-chemistry on previously exfoliated flakes with nucleophiles [21][22][23] or carbon-free radicals [24] have been reported so far.This is probably due to the intrinsic low degree of reactivity of neutral BP towards these reactions and the difficulties associated with overcoming the huge van der Waals energy stored within aBPcrystal, thus blocking the direct functionalization of BP.A long this front, ab ulk wetchemical derivatization sequence remains to be found. Moreover, an unambiguous determination of the covalent binding and its influence in the chemical structure of the P-layers is required to systematically explore the characteristics of BP reactivity.To address these challenges we took advantage of the well-known reductive graphene chemistry using graphite intercalation compounds (GICs). [18,[25][26][27] As af irst success in this direction, we have recently reported the preparation of BP intercalation compounds (BPICs) with alkali metals (K and Na). [28] This paves the way for the exploration of the reductive route using activated negatively charged BP-ite nanosheets and electrophiles (E) as covalent reaction partners.Herein, we provide the first real proof for covalent binding in BP with alkyl halides using abattery of characterization techniques.F urthermore,d ensity functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out to rationalize our results, providing adeep understanding of the covalent derivatization of BP.This thorough study reveals for the first time the lattice opening in BP,absent in graphene,which is a...

Antimonene, a novel group 15 two-dimensional material, is attracting great attention due to its outstanding physical and chemical properties.

Antimonene, a monolayer of β-antimony, is increasingly attracting considerable attention, more than that of other monoelemental two-dimensional materials, due to its intriguing physical and chemical properties. Under ambient conditions, antimonene exhibits a high thermodynamic stability and good structural integrity. Some theoretical calculations predicted that antimonene would have a high oxidation tendency. However, it remains poorly investigated from the experimental point of view. In this work, we study the oxidation behavior of antimonene nanosheets (ANS) prepared by ultrasonication-assisted liquid-phase exfoliation. Using a set of forefront analytical techniques, a clear effect of sonication time on the surface chemistry of prepared ANS is found. A dynamic oxidation behavior has been observed, which upon annealing at moderate temperature (210 °C) resulted in a semiconducting behavior with a bandgap of approximately 1 eV measured by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. This study yields valuable information for future applications of antimonene and paves the way towards novel modification approaches in order to tailor its properties and complement its limitations.