Glucose‐Derived N‐Doped Graphitic Carbon: Facile One‐Pot Graphitic Structure‐Controlled Chemical Synthesis with Comprehensive Insight into the Controlling Mechanisms

Abstract

Modification of graphitic structure chemistry and physics affords the N‐doped graphitic carbonaceous materials (NGCMs) superior and novel functional properties, which is essential for substantial development of applications based on such materials. The present research provides novel simple structure‐controlled chemical synthesis of NGCM. NGCM is grown from cyclic polymerization of glucose molecules upon hydrothermal treatment, employing Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and ammonia as structure‐directing agents. Hydrothermal temperature and CTAB dose were manipulated and the produced graphitic structure has been explored in terms of oxidation state, N‐doping, surface functionalization with CTAB and morphology. NGC derivatives of various structural features are obtained. Products range from oxidized graphitic carbon of mixed micro‐sized sphere/sheet morphology to highly‐reduced graphene‐like nanosheets; the C/O atomic ratio increases from 8.2‐12.4 and sheet thickness downs from 30 μm‐ ∼1 nm. Also, N‐doping configurations and graphitic surface functionalization by CTAB are greatly influenced. CTAB plays the key role in setting the graphitic structure characteristics. Additionally, ammonia has a modest effect. Understanding of the controlling mechanisms is focused. The effective and ease control of graphitic structure via this facile, economic and ecofriendly synthesis approach, can benefit the design of NGCM with tuned functional properties for specific applications in technological industries.

Controlled synthesis of graphene oxide/silica hybrid nanocomposites for removal of aromatic pollutants in water

“…Figure 6 c displays the Raman spectra of FGS1, FGS2, and FGS3 samples. These results are in line with previous studies on the Raman spectra of graphene 44 , 45 . As we know, pure silica has not any obvious peak in the Raman spectra 37 .…”

“…The I D /I G ratios from Raman spectra for FGS1, FGS2, and FGS3 were determined to be 0.26, 0.98, and 0.89, respectively, in this work. The highest graphitization degree coupled with the highest degree of oxidation during the synthesis and limited structural order within the graphitic carbon network is revealed by sample FGS2 (I D /I G = 0.98) 44 . FGS1, FGS2, and FGS3 had I 2D /I G intensity ratios of 0.42, 0.26, and 0.18, respectively, which clearly indicates the formation of double or few layers of exfoliated GO.…”

“…As we know, pure silica has not any obvious peak in the Raman spectra 37 . All spectra shows the main characteristics at Raman D (1347 cm −1 ) and G (1574 cm −1 ) bands of the graphitic samples, which arisen from the structure defects or disorder vacancies and the in-plane vibration of aromatic sp 2 carbon (C=C) of GO, respectively 44 . When compared to previous studies, the slight shift in the wave number of the bands for samples FGS is due to charge transfer between GO and SiO 2 , which is an evidence of the electrostatic interaction between the two components 39 .…”

Carbon Gels–Green Graphene Composites as Metal-Free Bifunctional Electro-Fenton Catalysts

“…The non-nitrogen functionalized materials doped with eco-graphene have a representative amount of nitrogen traces, especially those doped with a high percentage. The origin of this nitrogen can be explained via the synthesis method of the eco-graphene, since during the hydrothermal process at 270 °C, the CTAB molecules decompose, releasing nitrogen and hydrogen gases that interact with the graphitic structure causing the doping with nitrogen and the reduction of the oxidized structure, respectively [ 47 , 53 ]. On the other hand, the nitrogen content increases after melamine functionalization of the CX-6.2 sample (CX-6.2-NM), indicating that the incipient impregnation process was very effective.…”

“…One of the samples has also been doped additionally with nitrogen in order to see the role of this element in this type of material. It should be noted that the synthesis of green graphene consists of a clean process in which no toxic residues are used or generated, as is normally observed when synthesizing graphene using the Hummer method since the synthesis is carried out via a hydrothermal method, and glucose is used as starting material [ 47 ]. The influence of all these characteristics of the developed carbon gels has been evaluated in oxygen electro reduction (ORR).…”