Template assisted formation of micro- and nanotubular carbon nitride materials

Micro- and nanotubes of an amorphous carbon nitride material were synthesized by metathesis reactions between cyanuric chloride (C3N3Cl3) and different nitrogen sources, such as Li-2(CN2) or Li-3 (BN2). The intermediate formation of needle-shaped crystals of N(C3N3Cl2)(3) was always observed in our reactions, and investigated with respect to their role as a template in the formation of tubes. Chemical analyses of the micro- and nanotubes reveal carbon to nitrogen ratios near 3:4, consistent with the suspected material C3N4. Synthesized carbon nitride materials were thermally stable up to 600 degrees C in inert atmosphere. They were inspected by a number of physical measurements, mainly using TEM, EDX and IR investigations. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.