Structural identification of single boron-doped graphdiynes by computational XPS and NEXAFS spectroscopy

Abstract

Boron-doped graphdiyne (B-GDY) material exhibits an excellent performance in electrocatalysis, ion transport, and energy storage. However, accurately identifying the structures of B-GDY in experiments remains a challenge, hindering further selection of suitable structures with the most ideal performance for various practical applications. In the present work, we employed density functional theory (DFT) to simulate the X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) and near-edge X-ray absorption fine-structure (NEXAFS) spectra of pristine graphdiyne (GDY) and six representative single boron-doped graphdiynes at the B and C K-edges to establish the structure–spectroscopy relationship. A notable disparity in the C 1s ionization potentials (IPs) between substituted and adsorbed structures is observed upon doping with a boron atom. By analyzing the C and B 1s NEXAFS spectra on energy positions, spectral widths, spectral intensities, and different spectral profiles, we found that the six single boron-doped graphdiyne configurations can be sensitively identified. Moreover, this study provides a reliable theoretical reference for distinguishing different single boron-doped graphdiyne structures, enabling accurate selection of B-GDY structures for diverse practical applications.