Graphene gets a bandgap for opto-electronics While graphene has some amazing physical, optical and mechanical properties, its lack of a natural bandgap limits its use in electronics. Methods of varying complexity have been found to add bandgaps, and now there is another tool in the box – a chemical whose molecules self-assemble into an evenly-spaced flat lattice as they bond down into the graphene and give it a bandgap through sp2 to sp3 hybridisation. Self-spacing is important, as it removes the fiddly task of externally guiding molecules into position to control the combined material’s electronic properties. This “research is rather fundamental but could have repercussions over the next few years in optoelectronics, such as in the fabrication of photodetectors or in the field of solar energy”, according to Professor Federico Rosei of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) in Canada, which was part of the academic consortium.