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Borocarbonitrides for Decarbonization: From CO₂ Utilization to Renewable Fuel Synthesis

by Carlos A. Castilla-Martinez, Perla C. Meléndez-González and Umit B. Demirci

Nanoenergy Adv. 2025, 5(2), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/nanoenergyadv5020006 - 9 Apr 2025

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Borocarbonitrides (BCNs), a new class of ternary materials combining boron, carbon, and nitrogen atoms, have emerged as promising candidates in decarbonization technologies due to their unique physicochemical properties. BCNs offer an adjustable atom composition and electronic structure, thermal stability, and potentially a large specific surface area, which are attractive features for efficient interactions with carbon dioxide. These make BCNs suitable for carbon dioxide capture, storage, and catalytic conversion applications. Furthermore, BCNs have the potential to (electro)catalyze the synthesis of green fuels, such as hydrogen, as well as that of other hydrogen carriers such as ammonia. With this review, we examine the recent advances in BCN synthesis methods, characterization, and functional applications while focusing on their role in the decarbonization technologies mentioned above. We aim to highlight the potential of BCNs to drive innovation in sustainable carbon management. Additionally, in the last section of this paper, we discuss the challenges and prospects of BCNs in decarbonization and beyond. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Energy Materials)

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16 pages, 4387 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microporous Borocarbonitrides B_xC_yN_z: Synthesis, Characterization, and Promises for CO₂ Capture

by Rimeh Mighri, Umit B. Demirci and Johan G. Alauzun

Nanomaterials 2023, 13(4), 734; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13040734 - 15 Feb 2023

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 2208

Abstract

Porous borocarbonitrides (denoted BCN) were prepared through pyrolysis of the polymer stemmed from dehydrocoupled ethane 1,2-diamineborane (BH₃NH₂CH₂CH₂NH₂BH₃, EDAB) in the presence of F-127. These materials contain interconnected pores in the nanometer range with a high specific surface area up to 511 m² · g⁻¹. Gas adsorption of CO₂ demonstrated an interesting uptake (3.23 mmol · g⁻¹ at 0 °C), a high CO₂/N₂ selectivity as well as a significant recyclability after several adsorption–desorption cycles. For comparison’s sake, a synthesized non-porous BCN as well as a commercial BN sample were studied to investigate the role of porosity and carbon doping factors in CO₂ capture. The present work thus tends to demonstrate that the two-step synthesis of microporous BCN adsorbent materials from EDAB using a bottom-up approach (dehydrocoupling followed by pyrolysis at 1100 °C) is relatively simple and interesting. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Inorganic Materials and Metal-Organic Frameworks)

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12 pages, 2874 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Borocarbonitride Layers on Titanium Dioxide Nanoribbons for Efficient Photoelectrocatalytic Water Splitting

by Nuria Jiménez-Arévalo, Eduardo Flores, Alessio Giampietri, Marco Sbroscia, Maria Grazia Betti, Carlo Mariani, José R. Ares, Isabel J. Ferrer and Fabrice Leardini

Materials 2021, 14(19), 5490; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14195490 - 23 Sep 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2397

Abstract

Heterostructures formed by ultrathin borocarbonitride (BCN) layers grown on TiO₂ nanoribbons were investigated as photoanodes for photoelectrochemical water splitting. TiO₂ nanoribbons were obtained by thermal oxidation of TiS₃ samples. Then, BCN layers were successfully grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition. The structure and the chemical composition of the starting TiS₃, the TiO₂ nanoribbons and the TiO₂-BCN heterostructures were investigated by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Diffuse reflectance measurements showed a change in the gap from 0.94 eV (TiS₃) to 3.3 eV (TiO₂) after the thermal annealing of the starting material. Morphological characterizations, such as scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy, show that the morphology of the samples was not affected by the change in the structure and composition. The obtained TiO₂-BCN heterostructures were measured in a photoelectrochemical cell, showing an enhanced density of current under dark conditions and higher photocurrents when compared with TiO₂. Finally, using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, the flat band potential was determined to be equal in both TiO₂ and TiO₂-BCN samples, whereas the product of the dielectric constant and the density of donors was higher for TiO₂-BCN. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Graphene and Other 2D Layered Nanomaterials and Hybrid Structures: Synthesis, Properties and Applications)

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12 pages, 1546 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis of Ternary Borocarbonitrides by High Temperature Pyrolysis of Ethane 1,2-Diamineborane

by Fabrice Leardini, Lorenzo Massimi, Eduardo Flores-Cuevas, Jose Francisco Fernández, Jose Ramon Ares, Maria Grazia Betti and Carlo Mariani

Materials 2015, 8(9), 5974-5985; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma8095285 - 9 Sep 2015

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 6057

Abstract

Ethane 1,2-diamineborane (EDAB) is an alkyl-containing amine-borane adduct with improved hydrogen desorption properties as compared to ammonia borane. In this work, it is reported the high temperature thermolytic decomposition of EDAB. Thermolysis of EDAB has been investigated by concomitant thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis-mass spectrometry experiments. EDAB shows up to four H₂ desorption events below 1000 °C. Small fractions of CH₄, C₂H₄ and CO/CO₂ are also observed at moderate-high temperatures. The solid-state thermolysis product has been characterized by means of different structural and chemical methods, such as X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy, Elemental analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The obtained results indicate the formation of a ternary borocarbonitride compound with a poorly-crystalline graphitic-like structure. By contrast, XPS measurements show that the surface is rich in carbon and nitrogen oxides, which is quite different to the bulk of the material. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Hydrogen Storage Materials)

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