A graphite oxide-like carbogenic material derived from a molecular precursor

Carbonization of iminodiacetonitrile by phosphoric acid leads to a carbogenic material with graphite oxide-mimic properties. Specifically, the molecularly derived nitrogenous solid is layered with relatively small lateral dimensions, highly dispersible in water providing clear sols and exhibits an appreciable ion-exchange capacity. The material’s structure and morphology have been extensively characterized with a variety of techniques. Notably, the EPR study is indicative of long-range spin interactions within the layered framework, and therefore, of an ordered state. Indeed, magnetic measurements support this finding by revealing a ferromagnetic transition at 50 K and magnetic hysteresis at 10 K. Overall, the method presents an alternative synthesis towards molecularly derived graphite oxide-like materials with novel properties.