Enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4/TiO2 films

Natkritta Boonprakob; Natda Wetchakun; Sukon Phanichphant; David Waxler; Peter Sherrell; Andrew Nattestad; Jun Chen; Burapat Inceesungvorn

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2013.11.072

Enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4/TiO2 films

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2014 Mar 1:417:402-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2013.11.072. Epub 2013 Dec 4.

Authors

Natkritta Boonprakob¹, Natda Wetchakun², Sukon Phanichphant³, David Waxler⁴, Peter Sherrell⁵, Andrew Nattestad⁵, Jun Chen⁵, Burapat Inceesungvorn⁶

Affiliations

¹ Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Program, Graduated School, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.
² Department of Physics and Materials Science, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.
³ Materials Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand.
⁴ Department of Mechanical, Material and Mechatronic, Faculty of Engineering, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
⁵ Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, ARC Centre of Excellent for Electromaterials Science, Australian Institute of Innovative Materials, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522 Australia.
⁶ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand. Electronic address: binceesungvorn@gmail.com.

PMID: 24407703
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2013.11.072

Abstract

Enhanced photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) using graphitic carbon nitride/titanium dioxide (g-C3N4/TiO2) catalyst films has been demonstrated in this present work. The g-C3N4/TiO2 composites were prepared by directly heating the mixture of melamine and pre-synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles in Ar gas flow. The g-C3N4 contents in the g-C3N4/TiO2 composites were varied as 0, 20, 50 and 70 wt%. It was found that the visible-light-induced photocatalytic degradation of MB was remarkably increased upon coupling TiO2 with g-C3N4 and the best degradation performance of ~70% was obtained from 50 wt% g-C3N4 loading content. Results from UV-vis absorption study, Electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy suggest that the improved photoactivity is due to a decrease in band gap energy, an increased light absorption in visible light region and possibly an enhanced electron-hole separation efficiency as a result of effective interfacial electron transfer between TiO2 and g-C3N4 of the g-C3N4/TiO2 composite film. Based on the obtained results, the possible MB degradation mechanism is ascribed mainly to the generation of active species induced by the photogenerated electrons.

Keywords: Graphitic carbon nitride; Photocatalysis; Titanium dioxide; Visible light.