Researchers describe the mechanism of the synthesis of boron-doped graphitic carbon nitride

"Graphitic carbon nitride is a fascinating material. Despite being composed solely of common elements like carbon and nitrogen, their combination results in a substance with numerous potential applications in semiconductor technology, energy storage, and as a catalyst for chemical reactions. To further enhance its properties, it is often enriched with other elements that enhance its applications. Boron is one such element that our study focuses on," said Daniel Cvejn, the paper's lead author from the Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies.

The study demonstrates how the co-calcination of a CN precursor and a B-dopant (boric acid) leads to the formation of B-doped graphitic carbon nitrides. Using various analytical techniques such as X-ray diffraction, XPS, FTIR, or NMR, a new structure of these materials was derived, considering the different ratios between precursor and dopant. Thus, the paper contributes to the knowledge of how to efficiently dope graphitic carbon nitrides, potentially paving the way for developing new materials with enhanced properties for a range of technological applications.