Functional nanoporous graphene superlattice

Two-dimensional (2D) superlattices, formed by stacking sublattices of 2D materials, have emerged as a powerful platform for tailoring and enhancing material properties beyond their intrinsic characteristics. However, conventional synthesis methods are limited to pristine 2D material sublattices, posing a significant practical challenge when it comes to stacking chemically modified sublattices. Here we report a chemical synthesis method that overcomes this challenge by creating a unique 2D graphene superlattice, stacking graphene sublattices with monodisperse, nanometer-sized, square-shaped pores and strategically doped elements at the pore edges. The resulting graphene superlattice exhibits remarkable correlations between quantum phases at both the electron and phonon levels, leading to diverse functionalities, such as electromagnetic shielding, energy harvesting, optoelectronics, and thermoelectrics. Overall, our findings not only provide chemical design principles for synthesizing and understanding functional 2D superlattices but also expand their enhanced functionality and extensive application potential compared to their pristine counterparts. Here, the authors report the synthesis and characterization of doped nanoporous graphene superlattices, showing their improved properties for electromagnetic shielding, energy harvesting, optoelectronic and thermoelectric applications.