Nitrogen doping in graphene has important implications in graphene-based devices and catalysts. We have performed the density functional theory calculations to study the electronic structures of N-doped graphene with vacancies and Stone-Wales defect. Our results show that monovacancies in graphene act as hole dopants and that two substitutional N dopants are needed to compensate for the hole introduced by a monovacancy. On the other hand, divacancy does not produce any free carriers. Interestingly, a single N dopant at divacancy acts as an acceptor rather than a donor. The interference between native point defect and N dopant strongly modifies the role of N doping regarding the free carrier production in the bulk $\pi$ bands. For some of the defects and N dopant-defect complexes, localized defect $\pi$ states are partially occupied. Discussion on the possibility of spin polarization in such cases is given. We also present qualitative arguments on the electronic structures based on the local bond picture. We have analyzed the 1$s$-related x-ray photoemission and adsorption spectroscopy spectra of N dopants at vacancies and Stone-Wales defect in connection with the experimental ones. We also discuss characteristic scanning tunneling microscope (STM) images originating from the electronic and structural modifications by the N dopant-defect complexes. STM imaging for small negative bias voltage will provide important information about possible active sites for oxygen reduction reaction.

• Received 25 May 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.87.165401