A combination of a substrate selected from silicon, silicon carbide or a metal and a graphene precursor having the following properties: (a) an aromatic structure that forms the basis of the graphene structure, said aromatic structure being selected from the group consisting of: benzene, naphthalene, pyrene, anthracene, chrysene, coronene, and phenanthrene, or a cyclic or acyclic structures which can be converted to aromatic structures and (b) functional groups that can react with each other to form additional aromatic structures.