title: Nitrogen-doped graphene/ZnSe nanocomposites: hydrothermal synthesis and their enhanced electrochemical and photocatalytic activities.
abstract: Nitrogen-doped graphene (GN) has great potential applications in many fields because doping with nitrogen can alter the electrical properties of graphene. It is still a challenge to develop a convenient method for synthesis of GN sheets. In this paper, we first report the synthesis of a nitrogen-doped graphene/ZnSe nanocomposite (GN-ZnSe) by a one-pot hydrothermal process at low temperature using graphene oxide nanosheets and [ZnSe](DETA)(0.5) nanobelts as precursors. ZnSe nanorods composed of ZnSe nanoparticles were found to deposit on the surface of the GN sheets. The results demonstrated that [ZnSe](DETA)(0.5) nanobelts were used not only as the source of ZnSe nanoparticles but also as the nitrogen source. Interestingly, it was found that the as-prepared nanocomposites exhibit remarkably enhanced electrochemical performance for oxygen reduction reaction and photocatalytic activities for the bleaching of methyl orange dye under visible-light irradiation. This facile and catalyst-free approach for depositing ZnSe nanoparticles onto the graphene sheets may provide an alternative way for preparation of other nanocomposites based on GN sheets under mild conditions, which show their potential applications in wastewater treatment, fuel cells, energy storage, nanodevices, and so on.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nanomaterials and Chemistry, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Department of Chemistry, National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tian-Yuan
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Hui-Hui
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jing-Jing
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hong-Bin
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Shu-Hong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis / Q000528:radiation effects; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008027:Light; D008422:Materials Testing; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D018036:Selenium Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D018036:Selenium Compounds; D017967:Zinc Compounds; D014867:Water; D006108:Graphite; D009584:Nitrogen; C044696:zinc selenide