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 (C N ) structures with new properties and functionalities. In this work, a new type of hierarchically structured nanoporous C N is introduced. The C N 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 C N 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.