Green Mechanochemical Production of Amino-Acid-Derived N-Doped Graphene for Functional Vitrimer Composites

Abstract

Developing nanomaterials that combine excellent dispersibility with high electrical and thermal conductivity performance is essential for next-generation multifunctional composites. Herein, we present a solvent-free, benign-by-design mechanochemical route for synthesizing nitrogen-doped graphene nanoplatelets (N-GNPs) by ball-milling graphite with glycine, an amino acid serving simultaneously as a nitrogen source and exfoliation aid, together with potassium hydroxide as a nucleophile generator. This one-pot process enables simultaneous exfoliation and nitrogen incorporation, producing pyrrolic, graphitic, and pyridinic functionalities, delivering a unique balance of conductivity (30% of Grap..