Petr Kovaříček

Dynamic covalent chemistry of bisimines at the solid/liquid interface monitored by scanning tunnelling microscopy

Dynamic covalent chemistry relies on the formation of reversible covalent bonds under thermodynamic control to generate dynamic combinatorial libraries. It provides access to numerous types of complex functional architectures, and thereby targets several technologically relevant applications, such as in drug discovery, (bio)sensing and dynamic materials. In liquid media it was proved that by taking advantage of the reversible nature of the bond formation it is possible to combine the error-correction capacity of supramolecular chemistry with the robustness of covalent bonding to generate adaptive systems. Here we show that double imine formation between 4-(hexadecyloxy)benzaldehyde and different α,ω-diamines as well as reversible bistransimination reactions can be achieved at the solid/liquid interface, as monitored on the submolecular scale by in situ scanning tunnelling microscopy imaging. Our modular approach enables the structurally controlled reversible incorporation of various molecular components to form sophisticated covalent architectures, which opens up perspectives towards responsive multicomponent two-dimensional materials and devices.

Covalent Reactions on Chemical Vapor Deposition Grown Graphene Studied by Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

Graphene is a material of unmatched properties and eminent potential in disciplines ranging from physics, to chemistry, to biology. Its advancement to applications with a specific function requires rational design and fine tuning of its properties, and covalent introduction of various substituents answers this requirement. We challenged the obstacle of non-trivial and harsh procedures for covalent functionalization of pristine graphene and developed a protocol for mild nucleophilic introduction of organic groups in the gas phase. The painstaking analysis problem of monolayered materials was addressed by using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, which allowed us to monitor and characterize in detail the surface composition. These deliverables provide a toolbox for reactivity of fluorinated graphene under mild reaction conditions, providing structural freedom of the species to-be-grafted to the single-layer graphene.

Proton Gradient Driven Oriented Motion of Nanodiamonds Grafted to Graphene by Dynamic Covalent Bonds

Manipulating nanoscopic objects by external stimuli is the cornerstone of nanoscience. Here, we report the implementation of dynamic covalent chemistry in the reversible binding and directional motion of fluorescent nanodiamond particles at a functionalized graphene surface via imine linkages. The dynamic connections allow for controlling the formation and rupture of these linkages by external stimuli. By introduction of pH gradients, the nanoparticles are driven to move along the gradient due to the different rates of the imine condensation and hydrolysis in the two environments. The multivalent nature of the particle-to-surface connection ensures that particles remain attached to the surface, whereas its dynamic character allows for exchange reaction, thus leading to displacement yet bound behavior in two-dimensional space. These results open a pathway for thermodynamically controlled manipulation of objects on the nanoscale.

Functionalization of Hydrogenated Chemical Vapour Deposition-Grown Graphene by On-Surface Chemical Reactions.

The reactivity of hydrogenated graphene when treated with oxidising agents, KMnO4 and KIO4 , as well as alkylated with benzyl bromide (BnBr) was studied. The probed reactions are strictly limited to the partly hydrogenated form of graphene in which most of the hydrogen atoms are located in activated benzylic/allylic positions. This, in turn, clearly demonstrates the presence of hydrogen attached to the graphene lattice. Attachment of the benzyl group was also unequivocally demonstrated by characteristic vibrations recorded in the surface-enhanced Raman spectra, and all reactions were shown to proceed solely on hydrogenated graphene as evidenced by the comparison with pristine chemical vapour deposition-grown graphene.