High-yield synthesis of millimetre-long, semiconducting carbon nitride nanotubes with intense photoluminescence emission and reproducible photoconductivity.

High-yield synthesis of millimetre-long, semiconducting nanotubular g-C(3)N(4) with aspect ratio higher than 10,000 and strong photoluminscence emission was reported. The formation process of the nanotube was based on one-dimensional fibrous self-assembly of the protonated melamine in glycol mediated with nitric acid aqueous solution, which was subsequently thermalyzed into tubular carbon nitride through a rolling-up mechanism. The synthesized carbon nitride nanotube exhibits intense luminescent emission, fast photoresponse, and reproducible photoconductivity.