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

• Published in: Journal of materials science Vol. 55; no. 28; pp. 13618 - 13633
• Main Authors: Zou, Jingye, Yu, Yongzhi, Qiao, Kun, Wu, Shan, Yan, Wenjun, Cheng, Si, Jiang, Nan, Wang, Jigang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.10.2020; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Boron nitride; Carbon; Carbon nitride; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemical Routes to Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Classical Mechanics; Crystallography and Scattering Methods; Electrochemiluminescence; Electrode materials; Electron transfer; Electron transport; Materials Science; Melamine; Nanosheets; Phosphorus; Polymer Sciences; Solid Mechanics; Synthesis
• ISSN: 0022-2461; 1573-4803
• DOI: 10.1007/s10853-020-04862-6

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.