Preparation, properties and applications of carbonaceous materials of B/C/N and C/N systems

Carbonaceous materials of the boron/carbon/nitrogen (B/C/N) system and carbon/nitrogen (C/N) system have been reviewed. A material with a composition BC2N made by CVD had the graphite-like layer structure. Sodium was intercalated into and de-intercalated out of BC2N by an electrochemical method, and the material can be used as an anode of sodium ion batteries. Magnesium was intercalated into BC2N by vapor phase reaction. The intercalations can be explained by a relation between the ionization potentials of metals and electron affinities of the host materials. C/N materials have a high hardness, are photoluminescent and exhibit reversible ion adsorption/desorption in solution. These properties depend on composition, chemical bonding and structure, and should be useful in wide fields. [TANSO 2013 (No. 258) 165–70.]