No 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.

The poor mechanical strength of graphene oxide (GO) membranes, caused by the weak interlamellar interactions, poses a critical challenge for any practical application. In addition, intrinsic but large-sized 2D channels of stacked GO membranes lead to low selectivity for small molecules. To address the mechanical strength and 2D channel size control, thiourea covalent-linked graphene oxide framework (TU-GOF) membranes on porous ceramics are developed through a facile hydrothermal self-assembly synthesis. With this strategy, thiourea-bridged GO laminates periodically through the dehydration condensation reactions via NH and/or SH with OCOH as well as the nucleophilic addition reactions of NH to COC, leading to narrowed and structurally well-defined 2D channels due to the small dimension of the covalent TU-link and the deoxygenated processes. The resultant TU-GOF/ceramic composite membranes feature excellent sieving capabilities for small species, leading to high hydrogen permselectivities and nearly complete rejections for methanol and small ions in gas, solvent, and saline water separations. Moreover, the covalent bonding formed at the GO/support and GO/GO interfaces endows the composite membrane with significantly enhanced stability.