Semiconductor carbon-nitrogen nanomaterials based on interpolyelectrolyte complex sodium lignosulfonate-chitosan

Abstract This article was aimed at synthesizing new carbon-nitrogen nanomaterial from lignosulfonate/ chitosan (LS/CT) system via carbonization. The effect of LS molecular weight on the amount of nitrogen in the carbonizates, textural characteristics of carbon-nitrogen nanomaterials and their electrical properties was established by a variety of methods (SEM, AFM, BET, X-ray, IR, and dielectric spectroscopy). Structure of carbon-nitrogen nanomaterial is fractal with a high specific surface area (378–460 m2/g) and a significant pore volume (0.33–0.48 cm3). The electrical conductivity increases with an increase in the degree of disorder in the structure of carbon-nitrogen nanomaterial and correlates with the quantitative nitrogen content in the sample. The maximum electrical conductivity value was obtained for the sample with molecular weight of LS 67 kDa and is 0.71•10−7 S/cm. This study provides a novel method for the development of highly conductive carbon-nitrogen nanomaterials based on low-cost biopolymers that hold promise for a variety of practical applications.