Synthesis and characterization of boron doped graphene nanosheets for supercapacitor applications

•Prepared sponge like few layered reduced graphene nanosheets by thermal reduction method.•Boron doped graphene were successfully prepared by hydrothermal method for the first time.•Boron doped graphene atomic level (B-2.56 at.%) and electrochemical applications.•Thermally reduced and Boron doped graphene for electrochemical supercapacitor applications.

Heteroatom doping in carbon nanostructured materials is one of the effective approaches to enhance the energy storage in supercapacitors. Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized by thermal reduction under argon atmosphere at 500 °C and boron doped graphene nanosheets were prepared through hydrothermal (HB-GNS) using boric acid (H3BO3). The atomic doping level of boron was calculated (2.56%) from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) studies. Electrochemical analysis of thermally reduced graphene nanosheets (T-GNS) and HB-GNS shows the electric double layer capacitance behavior in Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) study. The HB-GNS electrode exhibited a maximum specific capacitance of 113 F/g (1 A/g), where as T-GNS showed the specific capacitance of 53 F/g (1 A/g). The electrochemical impedance measurement shows low Rct values for HB-GNS as compared to the T-GNS materials. The boron doping (HB-GNS) increases twice the specific capacitance of T-GNS. These results indicate the superior electrochemical performance of HB-GNS due to boron doping in graphene nanosheets as high energy storage electrode materials for supercapacitors.

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