Preparation of Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Materials for the Reduction of 4-Nitrophenol

Abstract

In this work two nitrogen-doped carbon materials were prepared, characterized, and used in modified electrodes for the electrochemical reduction of 4-nitrophenol. The synthesis methods of the two materials were based on two different methods. The first method was pyrolysis of carbon and nitrogen containing source molecules and the second was a hydrothermal synthesis utilizing graphene oxide as starting material and dicyandiamide as nitrogen dopant source. The two materials prepared were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, XPS spectroscopy, AFM, SEM. Characterization showed that the materials prepared were nitrogen-doped carbon materials with structure of graphite microplates each showing differing structural and chemical properties from one another. Glassy carbon electrodes coated with the nitrogen-doped carbon materials were prepared and used for the electrochemical reduction of 4-nitrophenol which were analyzed by collecting cyclic voltammograms of the electrochemical process in an electrolyte solution of acetonitrile and tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate. The cyclic voltammograms showed that the nitrogen-doped materials prepared were able to reduce 4-nitrophenol and showed a reduced reduction potential compared to uncoated glassy carbon electrodes. The cyclic voltammograms also broadly demonstrated how the different preparation methods of the nitrogen-doped carbon materials impact structure and their concomitant electrochemical properties.