Ultrafast electrodeposition of amorphous carbon nitride films from fullerene derivative

Amorphous carbon nitride films with good photoluminescence could be ultrafastly fabricated by liquid-phase electrochemical decomposition of fullerene derivative, C60[(NH2)2CNCN]5. The structure of the as-prepared films, characterized by transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, was consisted of sp2 hybrid C, sp3 hybrid C, C–N, CN and CN bands. Further study showed that the thickness of the films increased with the increase of the deposition time and the concentration of C60[(NH2)2CNCN]5. The optical tests indicated that the as-obtained films have distinct photoluminescence, no obvious decrease was observed more than one month later.