Ferrocene-Functionalized Graphene Oxide Nanosheets: Efficient Electronic Communication between Ferrocene Centers across Graphene Nanosheets

• Graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets functionalized with ferrocenyl moieties (GO-Fc) are fabricated.
• GO-Fc shows efficient electronic communication between ferrocene centers.
• GO-Fc exhibits two pairs of voltammetric peaks with a large potential spacing of 0.515 V.
• GO-Fc shows a broad absorption peak in the near-infrared range (∼ 1428 nm) at mixed valence.

Graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets functionalized with ferrocenyl moieties (GO-Fc) were fabricated through strong covalent CC bonds. The resulting hybrid showed efficient electronic communication between ferrocene centers due to the strong electron delocalization facilitated by the large pi-pi conjugated structure of graphene sheets. The obtained hybrid exhibited two pairs of voltammetric peaks with a large potential spacing of 0.515 V and a broad absorption peak in the near-infrared range (∼ 1428 nm) at mixed valence. The electrochemical and near IR spectroscopic features suggested a Class II/III behavior of the intervalence charge transfer. This work indicates clearly that strong electronic coupling between ferrocene centers can be easily realized across graphene nanosheets with sp2-hybridized carbon.

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