Β-Carbon nitride
Lattice structure of (β-C3N4). | |
| Names | |
|---|---|
| IUPAC name
β-Carbon nitride | |
| Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol) |
|
| MeSH | Carbon+nitride |
| |
| |
| Properties | |
| C3N4 | |
| Molar mass | 92.061 g·mol−1 |
| Structure | |
| Hexagonal, hP14 | |
| P63/m No. 176 | |
a = 6.36 Å, c = 4.648 Å | |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Infobox references | |
β-Carbon nitride (beta-carbon nitride), β-C3N4, is a superhard material predicted to be harder than diamond.
The material was first proposed in 1985 by Amy Liu and Marvin L. Cohen. Examining the nature of crystalline bonds they theorised that carbon and nitrogen atoms could form a particularly short and strong bond in a stable crystal lattice in a ratio of 1:1.3, and that this material could be harder than diamond.
Nanosized crystals and nanorods of β-carbon nitride can be prepared by mechanochemical processing.