Metal-free melem/g-C3N4 hybrid photocatalysts for water treatment

Shizhen Liu; Hongqi Sun; Kane O'Donnell; H M Ang; Moses O Tade; Shaobin Wang

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2015.11.003

Metal-free melem/g-C3N4 hybrid photocatalysts for water treatment

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2016 Feb 15:464:10-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2015.11.003. Epub 2015 Nov 4.

Authors

Shizhen Liu¹, Hongqi Sun², Kane O'Donnell³, H M Ang¹, Moses O Tade¹, 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. Electronic address: H.Sun@curtin.edu.au.
³ Department of Imaging and Applied Physics, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, WA 6845, Australia.
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: 26606376
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2015.11.003

Abstract

In this study, graphitic carbon nitride was engineered to produce metal-free melem/g-C3N4 hybrid photocatalysts through a hydrothermal technique. It was revealed that the hydrothermal treatment of g-C3N4 could produce a hybrid structure of "thorn ball" liked melem on g-C3N4 layer at a high temperature, and was able to modify the photoelectronic properties of g-C3N4. The spectroscopic measurements implied that a melem/g-C3N4 hybrid has better light absorption and lower electron/hole recombination than pristine g-C3N4. Therefore, the melem/g-C3N4 photocatalysts can decompose methylene blue solution under artificial sunlight with a higher rate and also present good stability.

Keywords: Graphitic carbon nitride; Hybrid; Melem; Metal-free; Water treatment.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Catalysis
Electrons
Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring / chemistry*
Methylene Blue / chemistry
Nitriles / chemistry*
Particle Size
Photochemical Processes
Solutions
Surface Properties
Triazines / chemistry*
Water / chemistry*

Substances

Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring
Nitriles
Solutions
Triazines
melem
Water
cyanogen
Methylene Blue