Some outstanding properties of nitrogen-doped graphene are sketched, and the latest synthesis methods, characteristic techniques and applications of nitrogen-doped graphene are reviewed. The synthesis methods of nitrogen-doped graphene mainly include chemical vapor deposition, heat treatment in ammonia atmosphere, nitrogen plasma discharge method, arc-discharge of carbon electrodes, electrothermal synthesis, solvothermal synthesis and conversion of N-containing precursors. Meantime, various characterization techniques, such as XPS, Raman, TEM, SEM and AFM, are introduced. Subsequently, the promising applications of nitrogen-doped graphene in the fields of lithium-ion batteries, lithium-air batteries and supercapacitor electrodes and oxygen reduction catalysts of fuel cells are present. Finally, some possible scientific issues involving nitrogen-doped graphene are briefly reviewed. Contents
1 Introduction
2 Types of nitrogen-doped graphene
3 Synthesis of nitrogen-doped graphene
3.1 Chemical vapor deposition method
3.2 Heat treatment in ammonia atmosphere
3.3 Nitrogen plasma discharge
3.4 Arc-discharge of carbon electrodes
3.5 Electrothermal synthesis
3.6 Solvothermal synthesis
3.7 Conversion of N-containing precursors
3.8 Other methods
4 Characterization for studying nitrogen-doped graphene
4.1 X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
4.2 Raman spectroscopy
4.3 Other characterization techniques
5 Applications
5.1 Lithium-ion battery electrode materials
5.2 Lithium-air battery electrode materials
5.3 Catalyst of fuel cell oxygen reduction
5.4 Supercapacitor electrode materials
6 Existing problems
6.1 Limit of nitrogen atomic concentration on the carbon surface
6.2 Catalytic mechanism of oxygen reduction
7 Other issues
8 Conclusion