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 Li2(CN2) or Li3(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 ∘C in inert atmosphere. They were inspected by a number of physical measurements, mainly using TEM, EDX and IR investigations.