Recent developments in edge-selective functionalization of surface of graphite and derivatives – a review

Surface functionalization is an important chemical task that allows to manipulate graphite's physical and chemical properties. It helps improve graphite's processability, giving it new properties, which may be important for solving specific problems. The graphite surface functionalization may be based on physisorption and chemisorption. In turn, the chemisorption-based functionalization may be edge-selective and non-selective. This review discusses the edge-selective functionalization of the graphite surface and reports the recent studies that take graphite and its different types as a source material. The paper also touches upon other functionalization possibilities, i.e. physisorption and non-selective chemisorption.