Half dome carbon nitride nanostructures

Abstract

Abstract We report on a new form of nanoscale carbon nitride in the shape of single layer half dome structures grown on the step edges of boron nitride sheets. The half-dome structures are formed spontaneously at high temperature in high vacuum using Fe2O3 capped with N(CH3)4OH supported on BN sheets. During the combustion process, the BN support first acted as a reducing agent for the transformation of the iron oxide in metallic iron and, second, as a source of nitrogen that permitted the transformation of the organic capping agent in sp1 CN chains linked with sp2 CN domains. During Ostwald ripening, smaller nanoparticles migrate towards larger nanoparticles, and when the nanoparticles cross the step edges of few-layer boron nitride sheets, a half-dome structure is formed. The propensity of FeNPs to catalyse the formation of the half dome containing cyanopolyynes species has been shown for the first time. The coexistence of carbon nitride atoms in two well-defined hybridization states within CN@HDS may offer functional features characteristic of carbyne and carbon nitride.