Abstract
Chemical doping of graphene with small boron nitride (BN) domains has been shown to be an effective way of permanently modulating the electronic properties in graphene. Herein we show a facile method of growing large area graphene doped with small BN domains on copper foils using a single step CVD route with methane, boric acid powder and nitrogen gas as the carbon, boron and nitrogen sources respectively. This facile and safe process avoids the use of boranes and ammonia. Optical microscopy confirmed that continuous films were grown and Raman spectroscopy confirmed changes in the electronic structure of the grown BN doped graphene. Using XPS studies we find that both B and N can be substituted into the graphene structure in the form of small BN domains to give a B-N-C system. A novel structure for the BN doped graphene is proposed.
Highlights
Since the discovery of atomically thick graphene in 2004,1 it has been considered as one of the most promising candidates for future electronic devices due to its excellent electronic properties[2,3] and versatile application possibilities in transparent electronics.[4,5,6,7] The absence of a band gap in graphene limits its properties for application in electronic devices and reproducible practical procedures that open a band gap in graphene would widen its applicability
Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies we find that both B and N can be substituted into the graphene structure in the form of small boron nitride (BN) domains to give a B–N–C system
atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging data revealed a continuous lm of BN doped graphene with wrinkles (Fig. 2e) which resulted from the transfer process of the graphene onto the SiO2/Si substrate
Summary
Is difficult to integrate into functional devices. Permanent doping has been achieved in graphene by chemical doping using B for p-type graphene and N for n-type graphene.[13]. Several theoretical studies have shown that simultaneous incorporation of B and N in graphene is thermodynamically possible yielding small planar hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) domains in graphene and most importantly that this process achieves band gap modulation in graphene.[18,19] The band gap opening in graphene, due to doping with small BN domains, has been attributed to the breaking of localized symmetry.[20] The tunable electronic properties of graphene material containing BN make this material likely to be useful in electronic devices, composites, energy conversion and storage.[21] a CVD method has recently been used to grow BN doped graphene on a copper foil using Ar/H2, methane and ammonia borane gases.[22] This method produced graphene domains alloyed with discrete large BN domains. We provide a simple reproducible experimental method to synthesize large area graphene doped with small BN domains which can be used to make high quality BN doped graphene for possible applications in nanoelectronic devices
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