Nature Chemistry, Published online: 05 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02172-z The integration of graphene nanoribbons into single-ribbon devices is impeded by strong inter-ribbon aggregation. Now a cyclophane-based shielding approach has been developed to sterically protect the graphene nanoribbon backbone while imparting internal strain, enabling singly dispersed graphene nanoribbons and modulation of their optoelectronic properties.