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Microwave synthesis of phosphorus-doped graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets with enhanced electrochemiluminescence signals

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Abstract

Efficient and low-cost electrode materials for the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) reaction are highly desired for the future detection technology. Herein, we report an efficient bottom-up pathway to synthesize phosphorus-doped graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (PCNNs) by ultra-rapid microwave irradiation. When the melamine precursor is modified with a 5 wt% diammonium hydrogen phosphate, the as-synthesized PCNNs display a very thin thickness (about 2 nm), good dispersibility in water (still stable after 2 weeks), low electron-transfer resistance (7499 Ω) and suitable band gap (2.7 eV). More importantly, the ECL intensity of the optimal PCNNs at low potential (− 1.2 to 0 V) is 26.7 times stronger than that of pure graphitic carbon nitride. The key to the excellent ECL property primarily lies in the more satisfactory sheet-like structure, faster electron transfer and better water affinity.

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Acknowledgements

This work is supported by Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NECT-12–0119), the Key Project and Youth Project of Science and Technology of Tibet Autonomous Region (XZ2017ZRG-66(Z), XZ2017ZRG-49(Z)), the Science and Technology Research Project of Jiangxi Provincial Education Department (GJJ180716) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities. The authors also thank Prof. Y. Zhang and Dr. Y. Lv for their help in the ECL tests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Metallic Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, People’s Republic of China

    Jingye Zou, Kun Qiao, Shan Wu & Jigang Wang

  2. National Engineering Research Center for Domestic and Building Ceramics, Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, Jingdezhen, 333001, People’s Republic of China

    Yongzhi Yu & Si Cheng

  3. Analytical Instrumentation Center, Institute of Coal Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Taiyuan, 030001, People’s Republic of China

    Wenjun Yan

  4. School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, People’s Republic of China

    Nan Jiang

  5. Xizang Engineering Laboratory for Water Pollution Control and Ecological Remediation, School of Information Engineering, Xizang Minzu University, Xianyang, 712082, People’s Republic of China

    Jigang Wang

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  1. Jingye Zou
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Zou, J., Yu, Y., Qiao, K. et al. Microwave synthesis of phosphorus-doped graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets with enhanced electrochemiluminescence signals. J Mater Sci 55, 13618–13633 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-020-04862-6

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