title: Heteroatom Nitrogen- and Boron-Doping as a Facile Strategy to Improve Photocatalytic Activity of Standalone Reduced Graphene Oxide in Hydrogen Evolution.
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 H2and their properties with respect to photocatalysis were elucidated for the first time. N- and 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 (600-800 °C for N-rGO and 800-1000 °C for B-rGO) in order to modify dopant loading percentage (%) which was found to be influential to photocatalytic activity. N-rGO600 (8.26 N at%) and B-rGO1000 (3.59 B at%), which holds the highest at% from each of their party, exhibited the highest H2activity. Additionally, the effects of the nature of N and B bonding configuration in H2photoactivity were also examined. This study demonstrates the importance of dopant atoms in graphene, rendering doping as an effective strategy to bolster photocatalytic activity for standalone graphene derivative photocatalysts.
authors.affiliation: Chemical Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, Monash University , Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Selangor Malaysia.
authors.forename: Lutfi K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Putri
authors.affiliation: Chemical Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, Monash University , Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Selangor Malaysia.
authors.forename: Boon-Junn
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) , 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis, 138634, Singapore.
authors.forename: Wee-Jun
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5124-1934
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.affiliation: Nanoelectronics Lab, MIMOS Berhad , Technology Park Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 57000, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Hing Wah
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Mechanical Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, Monash University , Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Selangor Malaysia.
authors.forename: Wei Sea
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Chemical Engineering Discipline, School of Engineering, Monash University , Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Selangor Malaysia.
authors.forename: Siang-Piao
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8635-1762
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Chai
keywords: boron; doped; graphene; hydrogen; nitrogen; photocatalyst