(Nano)graphene-based next-generation semiconductors and functional materials lie in engineering and understanding nanostructures at dislocation and grain boundary defect in graphene. Yet, there are two great bottlenecks: 1) defect nanostructures in graphene cannot be controlled at atomic level by the current techniques and 2) lacking proper molecular model compounds as basis for the understanding of anomalous graphene properties that would arise from the defects. Azulene has a skeleton of fused pentagon and heptagon that is exactly the nanostructure at (1,0) dislocation defect in graphene. Novel azulene chemistries will be developed to break through both of the two bottlenecks. 

The daily act of switching indoor lighting on and off, driven either directly by human intervention or indirectly, through sensor technology, exemplifies the three fundamental attributes of a switch: (1) a system that can exist in distinct states, (2) application of a specific stimulus to the system beyond a certain threshold leads to a directional, abrupt, and complete transition among the states, and (3) the transition between the states is reversible. We are working on switchable systems based on isomerization and phase transition of molecules, with a special aim on being able to completely switch between enantiomers by light irradiation in advanced manufacturing, displaying, and imaging processes, or even revolutionize asymmetric catalysis, informatics, and optoelectronics. 

Graphene exhibits exceptionally high electron mobility. Its zero-band-gap nature, however, limits its application as semiconducting material. Narrow graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) with widths of 2–10 nm are believed to be the ideal size for achieving an optimal balance of electronic properties, making them appealing candidates as next generation semiconductors. Utilizing carefully designed scaffolds that each undergo highly efficient graphitization, our chance of obtaining high-quality GNRs wider than 2 nm will be significantly increased.