Modified graphene structures and methods of manufacture thereof

A method for the manufacture of a graphene structure, said method comprising the steps of:

• i) preparing and cleaning a substrate;
• ii) depositing a layer of graphene onto the substrate;
• iii) reacting the substrate from step (ii) with a functional organic molecule comprising
• an anchor group which has the ability to form a non-covalent bond with graphene,
• a functional group;
• and
• an alkyl-chain spacer group which separates the anchor group and functional group and facilitates the formation of a self-assembled monolayer of functional organic molecules;
• to result in the formation of a self-assembled monolayer of one or more functional organic molecules non-covalently bonded to the top and/or bottom basal plane of the graphene.

A method for the gas and/or liquid-phase sensing of target chemical or biological groups in a sample solution or vapour comprising the steps of

• i) selecting a target moiety;
• ii) selecting the functional head group of a graphene structure according to selectively bind the target moiety;
• iii) placing the modified graphene structure (1) of step (ii) in a biosensor
• iv) exposing the biosensor to a sample solution or vapour;
• and
• v) monitoring and/or recording the selective binding of the target moeity to the functional head group of the graphene structure.