Thermal stability, morphology and electronic band gap of Zn(NCN)

•Thermal decomposition of Zn(NCN) was investigated.•The morphological changes during thermal decomposition of Zn(NCN) were discussed.•Zn(NCN) can be used as single-source precursor for nitrogen-doped CNTs.•The band gap of Zn(NCN) was determined from diffuse reflection UV–vis measurements.

The thermal behavior of zinc carbodiimide Zn(NCN) was examined in the temperature range between 200 and 1100 °C in Ar atmosphere. The material starts to partially decompose at about 800 °C. Heat treatment at temperatures beyond 800 °C results in the formation of the byproducts nitrogen-containing bamboo-like multiwall carbon-nanotubes of 20–50 nm in diameter due to a partial decomposition of Zn(NCN) into dicyan (CN)2, zinc and nitrogen gas followed by the polymerization of the former product to paracyanogen (CN)n. At 1100 °C, the yield of the residual carbodiimide depends on the dwelling time and the initial amount of powder used for pyrolysis. One hour dwelling at 1100 °C yields ∼50% of the Zn(NCN) separated as pure material. Temperature-induced change in the band structure, namely indirect-to-direct band gap transition, is registered when compared the Zn(NCN) at room temperature with the residual material annealed at 1100 °C. The transition from indirect (Eg = 4.32 eV) to direct band gap (Eg = 4.93 eV) is due to the thermal annealing process which results in healing of crystal defects.

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