From Millimeter to Subnanometer: Vapor-Solid Deposition of Carbon Nitride Hierarchical Nanostructures Directed by Supramolecular Assembly.

Shape and nanostructure control has great potential to enable graphitic carbon nitride (C3 N4 ) structures with new properties and functionalities. In this work, a new type of hierarchically structured nanoporous C3 N4 is introduced. The C3 N4 exhibits unique, edelweiss-like morphology, with components ranging from millimeter-sized bunches to subnanometer-thick layers. A one-step vapor-solid deposition approach using supramolecular aggregates as the precursor is carried out to accomplish the growth. Supramolecular pre-association plays a crucial role in achieving this nanostructure by directing the vaporization and deposition processes. Furthermore, very small C3 N4 quantum dots can be readily acquired by bath sonication of the thin layers in water. The supramolecular preorganization growth strategy developed herein may provide a general methodology in the design of advanced photoelectric materials with broad applications in energy conversion and storage.