Methylamine terminated molecules on Ni(111): A path to low temperature synthesis of nitrogen-doped graphene

Costantini R., TOFFOLİ H., Feng Z., Stredansky M., Toffoli D., Fronzoni G., ...More

FLATCHEM, vol.24, 2020 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 24
  • Publication Date: 2020
  • Doi Number: 10.1016/j.flatc.2020.100205
  • Journal Name: FLATCHEM
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Keywords: Nitrogen doped graphene, Pyridinic defects, Low temperature synthesis, Naphtylmethylamine, OXYGEN REDUCTION REACTION, ACTIVE-SITES, CARBON, PERFORMANCE, SURFACE, GROWTH, ELECTROCATALYSTS, CHEMISTRY, CATALYSTS, CARBIDE
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

The thermal treatment of a monolayer of 1-naphthylmethylamine (NMA) on Ni(1 1 1) surface reveals a complex chemistry promoted by the high surface reactivity. Both the amino-terminated functional group and the naphthalene body of NMA undergo a progressive dehydrogenation, which eventually leads to the coalescence of the molecules. As a result, 2D structures of increasing size are synthesized on the surface, characterized by a graphene-like lattice in which nitrogen atoms are mainly incorporated as pyridinic substitutional defects. In this paper, we show the evidence of the formation of extended nitrogen-doped graphene (N-GR) domains at temperatures as low as 300 degrees C, with band dispersion measurements that reveal p-type doping.