We show that the assumption of a nontrivial zero band gap for a graphene sheet within an effective relativistic field theoretical model description of interacting Dirac electrons on the surface of graphene describes the experimental band gap of graphene nanoribbons for a wide range of widths. The graphene band gap is dynamically generated, corresponding to a nontrivial gapless solution, found in the limit of an infinitely wide graphene ribbon. The nanoribbon band gap is determined by the experimental graphene work function.
@article{arxiv.1012.1374,
title = {Dynamical gap generation in graphene nanoribbons: An effective relativistic field theoretical model},
author = {A. J. Chaves and G. D. Lima and W. de Paula and C. E. Cordeiro and A. Delfino and T. Frederico and O. Oliveira},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1012.1374},
year = {2011}
}