Alexander Sinitskii, professor of chemistry, leads a team aiming to unlock the potential of graphene nanoribbons, narrow strips of graphene that are only a few carbon atoms wide. Because of their miniscule size and tunable electronic properties, these nanoribbons are considered promising components for the miniature electronic devices of the future. To realize this potential, researchers are exploring methods for assembling graphene nanoribbons into electronic circuits – a challenging task. With Department of Defense funding, Sinitskii’s team is investigating approaches using DNA nanotechnology, which could facilitate controlled self-assembly of graphene nanoribbons up to macroscopic scales.
