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R&D Publication

Heteroatom Nitrogen- and Boron-Doping as a Facile Strategy to Improve Photocatalytic Activity of Standalone Reduced Graphene Oxide in Hydrogen Evolution

Authors:

Lutfi K. Putri, Boon-Junn Ng, Wee-Jun Ong , Hing Wah Lee, Wei Sea Chang, and Siang-Piao Chai

 

Abstract:

Owing to its superior properties and versatility, graphene has been proliferating the energy research scene in the past decade. In this contribution, nitrogen (N) and boron (B) doped reduced graphene oxide (rGO) variants were investigated as a sole photocatalyst for the green production of H2 and their properties with respect to photocatalysis were elucidated for the first time. N, B rGOs were facilely prepared via the pyrolysis of graphene oxide with urea and boron anhydride as their respective dopant source. The pyrolysis temperature was varied (600oC800oC for NrGO and 800oC1000oC for BrGO) in order to modify dopant loading percentage(%) which was found to be influential to photocatalytic activity. NrGO600 (8.26 N at%) and BrGO1000 (3.59 B at%), which holds the highest at% from each of their party, exhibited the highest H2 activity. Additionally, the effects of the nature of N and B bonding configuration in H2 photoactivity were also examined. This study demon strates the importance of dopant atoms in graphene, rendering doping as an effective strategy to  bolster  photocatalytic  activity  for standalone graphene derivative photocatalysts.

 

Source:

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

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