Oxygen functional groups in graphitic carbon nitride for enhanced photocatalysis

Shizhen Liu; Degang Li; Hongqi Sun; Ha Ming Ang; Moses O Tadé; Shaobin Wang

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2016.01.051

Oxygen functional groups in graphitic carbon nitride for enhanced photocatalysis

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2016 Apr 15:468:176-182. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2016.01.051. Epub 2016 Jan 25.

Authors

Shizhen Liu¹, Degang Li², Hongqi Sun³, Ha Ming Ang¹, Moses O Tadé¹, Shaobin Wang⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical Engineering and CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, WA 6845, Australia.
² Department of Chemical Engineering and CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, WA 6845, Australia; School of Chemical Engineering, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255049, PR China.
³ Department of Chemical Engineering and CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, WA 6845, Australia. Electronic address: h.sun@curtin.edu.au.
⁴ Department of Chemical Engineering and CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE), Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, WA 6845, Australia. Electronic address: Shaobin.wang@curtin.edu.au.

PMID: 26845029
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2016.01.051

Abstract

Metal-free semiconductors offer a new opportunity for environmental photocatalysis toward a potential breakthrough in high photo efficiency with complete prevention of metal leaching. In this study, graphitic carbon nitride (GCN) modified by oxygen functional groups was synthesized by a hydrothermal treatment of pristine GCN at different temperatures with H2O2. Insights into the emerging characteristics of the modified GCN in photocatalysis were obtained by determining the optical properties, band structure, electrochemical activity and pollutant degradation efficiency. It was found that the introduction of GCN with oxygen functional groups can enhance light absorption and accelerate electron transfer so as to improve the photocatalytic reaction efficiency. The photoinduced reactive radicals and the associated photodegradation were investigated by in situ electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The reactive radicals, O2(-) and OH, were responsible for organic degradation.

Keywords: Graphitic carbon nitride; Metal-free catalyst; Oxygen modification; Photodegradation; Water treatment.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't