Carbonization-engineered ultrafast chemical reaction on nanointerface

Ultrafast reaction kinetics is essential for rapid detection, synthesis, and process monitoring, but the intrinsic energy barrier as a basic material property is challenging to tailor. With the involvement of nanointerfacial chemistry, we propose a carbonization-based strategy for achieving ultrafast chemical reaction. In a case study, ultrafast Griess reaction within 1 min through the carbonization of N-(1-naphthalene)ethylenediamine (NETH) was realized. The carbonization-mediated ultrafast reaction is attributed to the synergic action of reduced electrostatic repulsion, enriched reactant concentration, and boosted NETH nucleophilicity. The enhanced reaction kinetics in o-phenylenediamine-Cu2+ and o-phenylenediamine-ascorbic acid systems validate the universality of carbonization-engineered ultrafast chemical reaction strategy. The finding of this work offers a novel and simple tactic for the fabrication of multifunctional nanoparticles as ultrafast and effective nanoreactants and/or reporters in analytical, biological, and material aspects.