[Nature Communications] Polymerization Driven Monomer Passage through Monolayer CVD Graphene
writer：Tao Zhang*, ZQ Liao, A Dianat, P Xiao, I Amin, XL Liu, R Gutierrez, Tao Chen*, EZ, GC, R. Jordan*
keywords：polymer brushes, Graphene,
source：期刊
specific source：Nature Commun., 2018, 9, 4051
Issue time：2018年
Mass transport through graphene is receiving an increasing attention due to unprecedented potential to molecular sieving. Experimental studies are mostly limited to the translocation of
protons, ions and water molecules, and results for larger molecules through graphene are rare. Here, we perform controlled radical polymerization with surface-anchored self-assembled initiator monolayer in a monomer solution with single layer graphene separating the initiator from the monomer. We found that neutral monomers are able to pass through the graphene (via native defects) and increase the graphene defects ratio (Raman ID/IG) from ca. 0.09 to 0.22. The translocation of anionic and cationic monomers through graphene was significantly slower due to chemical interactions of monomers with the graphene defects. Interestingly, if micropatterned initiator-monolayers are used, the translocations of anionic monomers apparently “cuts” the graphene sheet into congruent microscopic structures. The varied interactions between monomers and graphene defects were further investigated by quantum molecular dynamic simulations.