Ionothermal Synthesis of Crystalline, Condensed, Graphitic Carbon Nitride

Abstract Herein we report the synthesis of a crystalline graphitic carbon nitride, or g‐C 3 N 4 , obtained from the temperature‐induced condensation of dicyandiamide (NH 2 C(NH)NHCN) by using a salt melt of lithium chloride and potassium chloride as the solvent. The proposed crystal structure of this g‐C 3 N 4 species is based on sheets of hexagonally arranged s‐heptazine (C 6 N 7 ) units that are held together by covalent bonds between C and N atoms which are stacked in a graphitic, staggered fashion, as corroborated by powder X‐ray diffractometry and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy.