Zigzag Graphene Nanoribbons with Periodic Porphyrin Edge Extensions

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with zigzag edges are promising materials for spintronic devices due to tunable bandgaps and spin-polarized edge states. Porphyrins offer complementary benefits such as desirable optoelectronic properties. Here, we combine these features in a hybrid system via the on-surface synthesis of zigzag-edge GNRs embedded with porphyrins laterally fused along the ribbon backbone. Using scanning probe methods, we show that this design achieves strong electronic coupling between porphyrin and GNR. For transition metal porphyrins, significant exchange coupling between distant metal centers is mediated by the π-electron system. Such hybrid d- and π-electron ribbon system introduces spin-orbit coupling and magnetic anisotropy to carbon nanomaterials, and holds great promise for the fabrication of one-dimensional spin qubit arrays.