Boron used to p-dope graphene at Columbia University

Researchers from Columbia University managed to p-dope (remove electrons) graphene with Boron. The same researchers already showed two years ago that it is possible to n-dope (add electrons) graphene with Nitrogen atoms.

The Boron doping does not significantly modify the basic graphene structure (this is also true for Nitrogen n-doping). The researchers report that one Boron atom bonds to 3 neighboring carbon atoms, and each dopant contributes roughly half a hole (a hole is the absence of an electron).

The researcher regards doping graphene as an essential method towards graphene-based electronics, and the dopants themselves might also act as reactive centres which could enable further functionalize graphene for sensor and related applications.

In 2012, researchers from Georgia Tech developed a new low-temperature method to dope graphene films using self-assembled monolayers (SAM) that modify the interface of graphene and its support substrate. Using this method the researchers developed graphene p-n junctions.

Posted: Oct 06,2013 by Ron Mertens