Nitrogen doping is one of the most promising routes to modulate the electronic characteristic of graphene. Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) enables low-temperature graphene growth. However, PECVD growth of nitrogen doped graphene (NG) usually requires metal-catalysts, and to the best of our knowledge, only amorphous carbon-nitrogen films have been produced on dielectric surfaces by metal-free PECVD. Here, a critical factor for metal-free PECVD growth of NG is reported, which allows high quality NG crystals to be grown directly on dielectrics like SiO2/Si, Al2O3, h-BN, mica at 435 °C without a catalyst. Thus, the processes needed for loading the samples on dielectrics and n-type doping are realized in a simple PECVD, which would be of significance for future graphene electronics due to its compatibility with the current microelectronic processes.

We report room temperature ferromagnetism in partially hydrogenated epitaxial graphene grown on 4HSiC(0001). The presence of ferromagnetism was confirmed by superconducting quantum interference devices measurements. Synchrotron-based near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure and high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy measurements have been used to investigate the hydrogenation mechanism on the epitaxial graphene and the origin of room temperature ferromagnetism. The partial hydrogenation induces the formation of unpaired electrons in graphene, which together with the remnant delocalized π bonding network, can explain the observed ferromagnetism in partially hydrogenated epitaxial graphene.

It is commonly considered that the morphology and interface of semiconductor-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) composite photocatalysts play a crucial role in determining their photocatalyzing performance. Herein, we report on the design and synthesis of BiVO4-rGO nanocomposites with efficient interfacial contact by self-assembly of positively charged amorphous BiVO4 powders with negatively charged graphene oxide (GO), followed by a one-step GO reduction and BiVO4 crystallization via hydrothermal treatment. The as-prepared BiVO4-rGO nanocomposites exhibit high visible light photocatalytic efficiency for the degradation of model dyes, and are significantly superior to bare crystalline BiVO4 and BiVO4-rGO-U that is hydrothermally synthesized using the mixture of GO nanosheets and BiVO4 powders without modification of surface charge. Using multiple characterization techniques, we found that the enhanced photocatalytic performance of BiVO4-rGO arises from the synergistic effects between the microscopic crystal structure of BiVO4 with smaller particle size and more sufficient interfacial interaction between BiVO4 and graphene sheets, leading to increased photocatalytic reaction sites, extended photoresponding range, enhanced photogenerated charge separation, and transportation efficiency. This work may provide a rational and convenient strategy to construct highly efficient semiconductor-rGO nanocomposite photocatalysts with well-contacted interface toward environmental purification and solar energy conversion.

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We demonstrate effective non-destructive p-type doping of graphene via surface modification with molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) thin film using electrical transport measurements. The p-type doping via MoO3 modification of graphene leads to the downward shift of Fermi level towards the valence band. MoO3 modified graphene retains its high charge carrier mobility, facilitating the observation of quantum Hall effect. In-situ ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy studies also show that air exposure of MoO3 modified graphene reduces the doping efficiency.