An introduction to Nitrogen Doped Graphene
Nitrogen doped graphene is one of the most promising materials for the creation of high performance and efficient energy storage devices. Its unique properties include the ability to reversibly convert light into electrical energy, which opens up a number of new application areas, such as batteries and solar cells. These properties are enhanced by the fact that the doping with nitrogen reduces the weight of the material, making it easier to store. Therefore, it is becoming a key component of renewable power sources and other energy applications. In addition, a variety of other advantages can be found in this material, including its excellent photocatalytic activity and its magnetic properties.
Synthesis
Nitrogen doped graphene (N-graphene) is a promising approach for the production of metal-free carbon-based catalysts. The presence of nitrogen atoms in the lattice plane of graphene can change the graphene structure from half-metal to n-type semiconductor. It can also affect the electronic properties of the material.
Several techniques have been developed for the synthesis of nitrogen doped graphene. This work has shown that nitrogen doping can improve the performance of Pt-based electrodes. These results are based on the analysis of nitrogen containing precursors. In particular, GO-OOH-N was found to be more effective in achieving nitrogen doping.
XPS spectroscopy was used to explore the surface chemical compositions of the material. The spectra were studied in a range of energy levels. Typical SEM images of synthesized materials reveal a curved, paper-like morphology.
Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was also performed. The I2D/IG ratio was calculated to be 0.261 for NB-GNs (0.1 mM boron). The relative extension of the delocalized system was studied by ex-situ XPS.
Ex-situ XPS analysis was done to study the amount of nitrogen atoms and the oxygen content in the doped graphene. It was found that the N doping was accompanied by a higher proportion of defect formation. As a result, the specific capacitance of the material was increased.
Transport behavior of carriers
When investigating the electrical properties of graphene, it is essential to understand the carrier transport in graphene. The carrier transport in graphene is governed by the ionized donors in the graphene lattice. However, the interaction parameter is extensively affected by the non-zero bandgap due to the dopant. In this study, the transport behaviors of nitrogen doped graphene have been studied as a function of growth temperature and ambient temperature.
N-doped graphene sheet shows strong enhancement in the electron-hole transport asymmetry. Furthermore, the nitrogen atoms are less likely to be incorporated into the graphene lattice. This results in the formation of defects and disordered layers.
For pyrrolic N doped graphene, there are three different bonding configurations. These bonding configurations are pyridinic N, pyrrolic N9,14, and pyrrolic N10. Each of these bonding configurations has an impact on the electronic properties of graphene.
The growth temperature of the pyrrolic N dominated graphene results in a minor shift in the peak position of the graphitic N peaks. This shift is attributed to defects, nitrogen environments, and doping effects.
In addition to the effects of doping and defects, the transport behavior of carriers was also affected by the ionized impurities. The pyridinic N atoms are bonded to two C atoms at the edges of the graphene. At high temperatures, these ring structures break, resulting in the generation of nitrogen fragments. Consequently, the carrier transport in graphene becomes more intensive.
Photocatalytic activity
Nitrogen doped graphene is a promising photocatalytic material. It provides excellent charge transport properties, which may be a basis for its application as a photocatalytic H2 generator. However, this material is still under development, and its performance is not yet fully proven. The current study suggests a new strategy for the synthesis of highly efficient photocatalysts.
Nitrogen doped graphene is characterized by three different C-N bonding configurations. These structures are mainly observed in the p-lattice of the carbon ring. In this structure, the OH group on the carbon atom in the a-position to the pyridine nitrogen is important. After oxidation, the pyridine ring dissipates and the pyridine N-oxide is formed.
Pyridine N-oxide is a zwitterion formed by oxidation of the basal plane of graphene. This form of oxidation delocalizes the positive charge. When a pyridine N-oxide is introduced into the pyridine ring, it can activate the reactive center at the adjacent carbon atoms in the functionalized C-N bonds. Therefore, the nitrogen doping can modify the transition from hole to electron conduction.
Finally, a novel heterojunction of P25 and N-CDs was investigated. This biphasic heterojunction extends the visible light absorption edge. Consequently, N-CDs/P25 photocatalysts showed higher visible-light degradation activity.
Magnetic properties
Nitrogen doping has been regarded as a crucial strategy for the enhancement of carbon materials. Various studies have been carried out on the ferromagnetism and electrical properties of N-doped graphene. The ferromagnetism in N-doped graphene is attributed to indirect coupling. This indirect coupling is caused by the chemical bonds between the dopants and the carbon atoms. These chemical bonds have strong covalent characteristics.
To determine the effect of nitrogen doping on the electronic band gap of penta-graphene, the density function theory was applied. It was shown that the density of defects and the number of neighboring sites increase with increasing density of defects. In addition, the electronic band gap of penta-graphene was modulated by the type of substitution. As a result, the electronic band gap of penta-graphene varied between 1.88 and 2.12 eV.
Magnetic hysteresis loops are an indication of ferromagnetism in N-doped penta-graphene. The saturation magnetizations of N-doped graphene can reach 0.282 emu/g at 300 K. Graphene embedded in carbon films can also exhibit room temperature magnetization.
The stoichiometric dehalogenation of perhalogenated pyridine precursors produces a sp2-coordinate carbon. Using this structure, N atoms can be introduced into pyridinic bonding sites and produce graphene.
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