Electron Transport Properties through Graphene Oxide–Cobalt Phthalocyanine Complexes

• Published in: Journal of physical chemistry. C 2013-11, Vol.117 (45), p.23664-23675
• Main Authors: Cárdenas-Jirón, Gloria I, León-Plata, Paola, Cortes-Arriagada, Diego, Seminario, Jorge M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electron states; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Electronic transport phenomena in thin films and low-dimensional structures; Exact sciences and technology; Fullerenes and related materials; diamonds, graphite; Materials science; Methods of electronic structure calculations; Physics; Specific materials; Surface and interface electron states
• ISSN: 1932-7447; 1932-7455
• DOI: 10.1021/jp405951p

We present a theoretical study using density functional theory at the M05-2X/6-31G(d)/LANL2DZ level of theory of the structural, stability, reactivity, and electrical properties of cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) adsorbed on functionalized graphene (G). The functionalization, localized at the center of graphene, is based on epoxide (−O), hydroxyl (−OH), and carboxyl (−COOH) complexes. Three types of graphene molecules are used: pristine, defect (Def), and vacancy (Vac). Binding energies show large stabilities for G–O–CoPc, from ∼−43 to −65 kcal/mol, and for G–OH–CoPc, from ∼−19 to −32 kcal/mol. No adsorption of CoPc occurs on G–COOH. The HOMO–LUMO gap is shorter by ∼0.5 eV for the complexes containing epoxide and hydroxyl (except for G–Vac) than for the functionalized G, thus implying a higher reactivity of the former. All these results together with the nature of the frontier molecular orbitals, which make functionalized G electron acceptor and CoPc electron donor species, explain the charge transfer properties of the complexes. Complexes containing epoxide functionalization present a better conduction of ∼18 μA (at ∼1 V) than those complexes containing hydroxyl functionalization (∼7 μA). These results show that the adsorption of cobalt phthalocyanine on functionalized graphene is feasible; yielding a tunable hybrid material that allows sensing because of the intrinsic electrical properties provided by functionalized G and CoPc.