Abstract
The density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the chemical functionalization of zigzag graphene nanoribbon (ZGNR) with DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) nucleobases were carried out using the local density approximation (DFT-LDA). The binding energies, charge transfer, equilibrium geometries and band gap variations of bare ZGNR (b-ZGNR) and nucleobase functionalized ZGNR (nb-ZGNR), were examined at an electron temperature of 300 K. The functionalization of ZGNR with nucleobases adenine (Anb-ZGNR) and cytosine (Cnb-ZGNR) reveals a significant structural deformation compared to bare ZGNR(b-ZGNR).Our findings suggest that functionalization at the edge of ZGNR is effective in tuning its electronic and structural properties through significant enhancement of dipole moment, reduction in %s character and structural asymmetry, thereby suggesting the possibilities of using functionalized ZGNR as nanocarriers in biomedical applications.
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•Effective charge transfer is observed for nucleobases functionalized ZGNR (6,0).•Functionalization induce solubility by creating permanent dipole moments in ZGNR (6,0).•The upward Fermi shift signifies higher chemical reactivity of functionalized system.