Self-assembled one-dimensional carbon nitride architectures

Three kinds of assembled one-dimensional carbon nitride architectures were realized in large scale by a simple solvothermal technique. Carbon nitride nanotube bundles were formed involving the reaction of cyanuric chloride (C₃N₃Cl₃) with sodium at 230 °C and 1.8 MPa in a stainless steel autoclave using NiCl₂ as a catalyst precursor. Without any catalyst, aligned nanoribbons were formed at 290 °C and 3 MPa, and microspheres consisting of hundreds of nanoribbons were formed at 260 °C and 3.5-4.5 MPa. The electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) proved all these 1-D carbon nitride nanostructures are consistent with the stoichiometry of CN. The similarity and difference of their microstructures and optical properties were researched by FTIR, Raman, PL measurements and UV-vis absorption spectra. These assembled CN architectures with well-controlled dimensionality and luminescent property may have potential uses as component of optical nanoscale devices. Their formation mechanisms were briefly discussed.