Single crystal
Single crystal β-C3N4 nanorods can be formed after the powder-like or flake-like compound is thermally annealed with an NH3 gas flow. The size of the nanorods is determined by the temperature and time of thermal annealing. These nanorods grow faster in their axis direction than the diameter direction and have hemispherical-like ends. A cross section of the nanorods indicates that their section morphology is prismatic. It was discovered that they contain amorphous phases, however when annealed to 450 degrees Celsius for three hours under an NH3 atmosphere, the amount of the amorphous phase diminished to almost none. These nanorods are dense and twinned rather than nanotubes. Synthesizing these nanorods through thermal annealing provides an effective, low-cost, high-yield method for the synthesis of single crystal nanorods.