Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Nanoplatelets from Simple Solution Edge-Functionalization for n-Type Field-Effect Transistors

The development of a versatile method for nitrogen-doping of graphitic structure is an important challenge for many applications, such as energy conversions and storages and electronic devices. Here, we report a simple but efficient method for preparing nitrogen-doped graphene nanoplatelets via wet-chemical reactions. The reaction between monoketone (C=O) in graphene oxide (GO) and monoamine-containing compound produces imine (Shiff base) functionalized GO (iGO). The reaction between alpha-diketone in GO and 1,2-diamine (ortho-diamine)-containing compound gives stable pyrazine ring functionalized GO (pGO). Subsequent heat-treatments of iGO and pGO result in high-quality, nitrogen-doped graphene nanoplatelets to be designated as hiGO and hpGO, respectively. Of particular interest, hpGO was found to display the n-type field-effect transistor behavior with a charge neutral point (Dirac point) located at around 16 V. Furthermore, hpGO showed hole and electron mobilities as high as 11.5 and 12.4 cm(2)V(-1)s(-1), respectively.