Abstract

We discover a method of opening the conductive channels of zigzag graphene nanoribbons (ZGNRs) by using hydrogenation chains to separate the nanoribbon into two strips with a ∼0.7 Å distance, although the overall hydrogenation on graphene transforms the highly conductive semimetal sheet into an insulator. Two edge-like states emerge around each hydrogenation chain. The conductance enhancement, made by the hydrogenation chain, is found in nanoribbons with 5 to 7 chains, e.g. 5ZGNRH, 6ZGNRH, 7ZGNRH, and 7ZGNR2H (7ZGNR with two hydrogenation chains). The ZGNRs with hydrogenation chains illustrate their potential in nanoelectronics and carbon electronics as electronic leads and nonlinear devices.