Computational investigation of double nitrogen doping on graphene

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to study doping of two nitrogen atoms at different positions on a finite-sized graphene model of C₈₂H₂₄. We examined 21 structures of double nitrogen doped graphene to calculate their relative stabilities. The structure with two nitrogen atoms located apart is the most stable among the positional isomers considered in this study. For double nitrogen doping within a six-membered ring, the 1,4-position is more preferred than 1,3- or 1,2-positions for the finite-sized single layer graphene sheet. Our computational study supports the experimental observation of two nitrogen atoms at the 1,3- and 1,4-positions in a single six-membered ring of graphene. Furthermore, the structures with N-N bond are the least stable among two nitrogen doped graphene structures. The effects of nitrogen doping and the positions of two nitrogen atoms on the HOMO-LUMO energy gap of pristine graphene were analyzed.