A technique to create sub-10-nm graphene nanoribbons from squashed carbon nanotubes

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are narrow and long strips of graphene with widths below 100 nm. GNRs that have smooth edges, a sizable bandgap and high charge carrier mobility could be highly valuable for a wide range of electronic and optoelectronic applications. So far, however, engineers have not yet introduced a method to prepare these useful components on a large scale.