On-Surface Synthesis of a Nonplanar Porous Nanographene

On-surface synthesis provides an effective approach toward the formation of graphene nanostructures that are difficult to achieve via traditional solution chemistry. Here, we report on the design and synthesis of a nonplanar porous nanographene with 78 sp carbon atoms, namely C78. Through a highly selective oxidative cyclodehydrogenation of 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexa(naphthalen-1-yl)triphenylene (2), propeller nanographene precursor 1 was synthesized in solution. Interestingly, although 1 could not be cyclized further in solution, porous nanographene C78 was successfully achieved from 1 by on-surface assisted cyclodehydrogenation on Au(111). The structure and electronic properties of C78 have been investigated by means of scanning tunneling microscopy, noncontact atomic force microscopy, and scanning tunneling spectroscopy, complemented by computational investigations. Our results provide perspectives for the on-surface synthesis of porous graphene nanostructures, offering a promising strategy for the engineering of graphene materials with tailor-made properties.