Stabilize a C-H bond on graphene with its

summary

Unlike most other materials, graphene – a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a two-dimensional honeycomb network – contracts when heated (1). This unusual property is caused by the extreme asymmetry of the two-dimensional structure. When the carbon atoms vibrate thermally, they undergo a strong restoring force in the plane and a weak restoring force out of the plane. As a result, out-of-plane vibrations have a greater amplitude, causing a contraction of the graphene layer. On page 379 of this issue, Jiang et al. (2) show that this asymmetry also leads to an exceptionally efficient energy loss pathway in the formation of carbon-hydrogen (CH) bonds on graphene. The results demonstrate the existence of a previously unexplored path leading to energy loss in the formation of C-H bonds and could provide a method for adjusting the properties of graphene by the bias of a controlled formation of C – H bonds.