Synthesis of ternary metal nitride nanoparticles using mesoporous carbon nitride as reactive template.

Mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride was used as both a nanoreactor and a reactant for the synthesis of ternary metal nitride nanoparticles. By infiltration of a mixture of two metal precursors into mesoporous carbon nitride, the pores act first as a nanoconfinement, generating amorphous mixed oxide nanoparticles. During heating and decomposition, the carbon nitride second acts as reactant or, more precisely, as a nitrogen source, which converts the preformed mixed oxide nanoparticles into the corresponding nitride (reactive templating). Using this approach, ternary metal nitride particles with diameters smaller 10 nm composed of aluminum gallium nitride (Al-Ga-N) and titanium vanadium nitride (Ti-V-N) were synthesized. Due to the confinement effect of the carbon nitride matrix, the composition of the resulting metal nitride can be easily adjusted by changing the concentration of the preceding precursor solution. Thus, ternary metal nitride nanoparticles with continuously adjustable metal composition can be produced.