Preparation and physicochemical properties of nitrogen-doped graphene inks

Abstract Nitrogen-doped graphene ink is still not perfect for printing because of its low concentration, many defects, and easy agglomeration, limiting its use in functional printing devices. To solve these problems, nitrogen-doped graphene (NG) was prepared from natural flake graphite by a combined chemical oxidation-reduction method and solvothermal method. It was dispersed in water with a help of surfactants to prepare stable NG inks with a high NG content. Results indicate that the NG has a nitrogen content of 8.58 at% and an electrical conductivity of 257.2 S•m−1. The stability of the dispersion of aqueous NG inks was regulated by controlling the mass ratio of the surfactants, (sodium lauryl sulfonate, sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate) to NG. The physicochemical properties of the stable aqueous NG inks can be regulated by adding SLS, SDS, or SDBS in different proportions. which zeta potentials range from −50 to −90 mV, viscosities from 1 to 3 mPa•s, and surface tensions from 30.8 to 71.9 mN/m. A uniform NG line with a width of 250 μm were printed by uniform droplet spraying with an optimized NG ink. The NG flakes in the line is uniformly distributed forming an excellent film. This work suggests a simple method for the production of stable NG inks, which paves the way for preparing NG-based functional devices.