Thermal carbonization of bis(2-chloroethyl)amine hydrochloride at 260 °C in air leads to a new, functional layered carbonaceous material that, although different in structure and composition, shares similar characteristics as the well-known graphite oxide. Specifically, the molecularly derived carbonaceous solid is layered with relatively small lateral dimen-sions, highly dispersible in water providing clear colloidal sols and possesses ion-exchange properties. The carbonaceous solid strongly fluoresces in the visible, when stimulated with a wide range of excitation wavelengths. Overall, the method presents an alternative syn-thesis towards molecularly derived layered carbonaceous materials with novel properties.