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 BC 2 N made by CVD had the graphite-like layer structure. Sodium was intercalated into and de-intercalated out of BC 2 N by an electrochemical method, and the material can be used as an anode of sodium ion batteries. Magnesium was intercalated into BC 2 N 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.]