Boron- and nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes and graphene

Multi-walled, single-walled and double-walled carbon nanotubes as well as graphene can be doped with boron and nitrogen. B2H6 has been generally used as the boron source while NH3 or pyridine is employed as the nitrogen source. Doping carbon nanotubes and graphene with boron and nitrogen brings about significant changes in the electronic structure and properties. Such doping not only results in desirable properties but also allows manipulation of properties for specific purposes. Doping with boron-and nitrogen-causes marked changes in the Raman spectra of the carbon nanostructures. In this article, we present the synthesis, characterization and properties of boron-and nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes and graphene. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.