The structural order and intrinsic properties of carbon nitrides can be controlled by controlling the temperature, report Ajayan Vinu and colleagues, National Institute for Materials Science, Japan. Mesoporous carbon nitride was carbonized at temperatures between 800 and 1200 °C. The structure of the resulting nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon was then investigated. With treatment at 1000 °C, the mesoporous carbon was shown to have well-ordered hexagonal-type pores and a graphitic wall structure. This structure resulted in conductivity 32 times higher than the equivalent material treated at 800 °C.

The material was used as a nanoreactor for the pore-directed growth of Pt nanoparticles. The Pt-loaded samples were then tested as anodic catalysts for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. These showed much higher anodic electrocatalytic activity than the other materials used in the study, making them potential materials for solar cells, catalysis, hydrogen storage, as well as fuel cells.

• Highly Crystalline and Conductive Nitrogen-Doped Mesoporous Carbon with Graphitic Walls and Its Electrochemical Performance
  K. K. R. Datta, V. V. Balasubramanian, K. Ariga, T. Mori, A. Vinu,
  Chem. Eur. J. 2011.
  DOI: 10.1002/chem.201002419