Abstract

Graphene, a single-atom-thick planar sheet of graphite with zero-band gap, has great potential applications in nanoelectrics, biosensing, energy storage owing to its unique electrical, mechanical, and physical properties. Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are narrow and straight-edged stripes of graphene sheets. They are predicted to exhibit band gaps useful for field-effect transistors with high on/off ratio and carrier mobility. Over the past few years, they have attracted increasing attentions and became the attractive candidates for carbon-based nanoelectronics. This review provides a brief overview on the synthesis, properties and applications of GNRs. The effects of synthetic process on their morphology and electronic properties are discussed in detail. In addition, the applications of graphene nanoribbons in different fields have also briefly presented.

Keywords: Graphene nanoribbon, synthesis, application.