The Chemistry of Imperfections in N-Graphene

Author(s)
Dmitry Usachov, Alexander Fedorov, Oleg Vilkov, Boris Senkovskiy, Vera K. Adamchuk, Lada V. Yashina, Andrey A. Volykhov, Mani Farjam, Nikolay I. Verbitskiy, Alexander Grueneis, Clemens Laubschat, Denis V. Vyalikh
Abstract

Many propositions have been already put forth for the practical use of N-graphene in various devices, such as batteries, sensors, ultracapacitors, and next generation electronics. However, the chemistry of nitrogen imperfections in this material still remains an enigma. Here we demonstrate a method to handle N-impurities in graphene, which allows efficient conversion of pyridinic N to graphitic N and therefore precise tuning of the charge carrier concentration. By applying photoemission spectroscopy and density functional calculations, we show that the electron doping effect of graphitic N is strongly suppressed by pyridinic N. As the latter is converted into the graphitic configuration, the efficiency of doping rises up to half of electron charge per N atom.

Organisation(s)
Electronic Properties of Materials
External organisation(s)
Saint Petersburg State University, Leibniz-Institut für Festkörper- und Werkstoffforschung Dresden, Universität zu Köln, Technische Universität Dresden, Anuchin Research Institute and Museum of Anthropology, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM)
Journal
Nano Letters: a journal dedicated to nanoscience and nanotechnology
Volume
14
Pages
4982-4988
No. of pages
7
ISSN
1530-6984
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1021/nl501389h
Publication date
09-2014
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
103020 Surface physics, 103018 Materials physics, 103009 Solid state physics
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Condensed Matter Physics, Mechanical Engineering, Bioengineering, General Chemistry, General Materials Science
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/109b4531-1c07-4f02-a73e-78f15b8be9be