The Synthesis, Properties, and Applications of Heteroatom-Doped Graphenes

Graphene is a unique form of carbon nanomaterials, and it possesses exceptional properties including high electrical conductivity, high thermal conductivity, high surface area, high mechanical strength, and high chemical stability. However, pristine graphene is a zero-band-gap material, making it difficult to be used in many applications required materials with a band gap. There are several methods to modify the properties of graphene and heteroatom doping has been demonstrated as an effective method to create a band gap in graphene. Heteroatom doping can endow graphene with various enhanced optical, electromagnetic, structural, and physicochemical properties, making graphene become a promising material in various applications including nanoelectronics, catalysis, energy storage, functional composites, and biomedical applications. Since heteroatom-doped graphene is both of academic and technical importance, here we comprehensively discuss the properties, synthetic methods, emerging applications, and the present status of various aspects of this important issue to assist a better understanding of doped graphene materials.