The design and fabrication of electronic devices based on graphene nanomaterials are dependent on
the tuning of Fermi levels. This can be achieved by doping graphene oxide (GO) with an electronwithdrawing (p-type) or electron-donating (n-type) species that causes changes in the electron density
and enhances the electrochemical properties. In this research, the effect of boron content on the
optical, electrochemical, and conductivity properties of GO was investigated. Boron-doped reduced
graphene oxide (B-rGO) was synthesized via a chemical vapor deposition method by using GO and
varying amounts of boric anhydride, as a boron precursor, at a doping temperature of 600 1C. The
B-rGO samples were characterized by standard spectroscopic techniques. B-rGO had a sheet structure
with various graphene islands and disordered regions. The highest boron content incorporated into the
reduced GO framework was 7.12%. B-rGO samples manifested strong absorption in the ultraviolet
region. An electronic band structure with a low charge resistance of 20.23 O and enhanced electrical
conductivity properties of 5.920 S cm1 was observed and noted to be dependent on the concentration
of boron incorporated. All the B-rGO samples demonstrated a p-type conductivity behaviour which is
attributed to an increase in the density of states near the Fermi level. This work opens a new avenue for
the fabrication of solar cells based on p-type B-rGO.
The design and fabrication of electronic devices based on graphene nanomaterials are dependent on
the tuning of Fermi levels. This can be achieved by doping graphene oxide (GO) with an electronwithdrawing (p-type) or electron-donating (n-type) species that causes changes in the electron density
and enhances the electrochemical properties. In this research, the effect of boron content on the
optical, electrochemical, and conductivity properties of GO was investigated. Boron-doped reduced
graphene oxide (B-rGO) was synthesized via a chemical vapor deposition method by using GO and
varying amounts of boric anhydride, as a boron precursor, at a doping temperature of 600 1C. The
B-rGO samples were characterized by standard spectroscopic techniques. B-rGO had a sheet structure
with various graphene islands and disordered regions. The highest boron content incorporated into the
reduced GO framework was 7.12%. B-rGO samples manifested strong absorption in the ultraviolet
region. An electronic band structure with a low charge resistance of 20.23 O and enhanced electrical
conductivity properties of 5.920 S cm1 was observed and noted to be dependent on the concentration
of boron incorporated. All the B-rGO samples demonstrated a p-type conductivity behaviour which is
attributed to an increase in the density of states near the Fermi level. This work opens a new avenue for
the fabrication of solar cells based on p-type B-rGO.
