Eco-efficient preparation of a N-doped graphene equivalent and its application to metal free selective oxidation reaction

Abstract

Here, we demonstrate that graphene oxide (GO) can be converted to N-doped reduced GO (rGO) that could become a substitute for N-doped graphene. Simultaneous doping and reduction can be accomplished for this purpose by simply mixing GO with hydrazine and then continuously sonicating the solution at 65 °C. A high level of reduction is realized, as evidenced by a carbon to oxygen ratio of 20.7 that compares with the highest value of 15.3 ever reported in solution (water + hydrazine) methods. Nitrogen doping is possible up to 6.3 wt% and the extent of doping can be increased with increasing sonication time. Notably, the simple tuning process of N-doping in GO greatly enhanced the efficiency of the carbocatalyst for various kinds of metal free oxidation reactions and hence is proposed as a suitable candidate for future industrial applications.