Enhanced photocatalytic activity of ZnO/g-C3N4 composites by regulating stacked thickness of g-C3N4 nanosheets

Xingxing Gao; Binzheng Yang; Wenqing Yao; Yajun Wang; Ruilong Zong; Jian Wang; Xianchun Li; Wenjie Jin; Dongping Tao

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113577

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of ZnO/g-C₃N₄ composites by regulating stacked thickness of g-C₃N₄ nanosheets

Environ Pollut. 2020 Feb:257:113577. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113577. Epub 2019 Nov 6.

Authors

Xingxing Gao¹, Binzheng Yang², Wenqing Yao³, Yajun Wang⁴, Ruilong Zong⁵, Jian Wang⁶, Xianchun Li⁷, Wenjie Jin⁷, Dongping Tao⁸

Affiliations

¹ School of Civil Engineering, University of Science and Technology Liaoning, Anshan, 114051, Liaoning province, PR China; Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, PR China.
² School of Civil Engineering, University of Science and Technology Liaoning, Anshan, 114051, Liaoning province, PR China.
³ Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, PR China. Electronic address: yaowq@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, 102249, PR China.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, PR China.
⁶ Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, PR China; School of Mining Engineering, University of Science and Technology Liaoning, Anshan, 114051, Liaoning province, PR China.
⁷ School of Chemical Engineering, University of Science and Technology Liaoning, Anshan, 114051, Liaoning province, PR China.
⁸ School of Mining Engineering, University of Science and Technology Liaoning, Anshan, 114051, Liaoning province, PR China.

PMID: 31761595
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113577

Abstract

A self-assembly method was adopted to synthesize loading architecture of ZnO/g-C₃N₄ heterojunction composites by hybridization of g-C₃N₄ nanosheets and ZnO nanoparticles utilizing a refluxing method at a low temperature. More importantly, we provided a novel route to regulate the π-π restacking thickness of the g-C₃N₄ nanosheets among ZnO/g-C₃N₄ composites by the controlling the refluxing time in the ethanol solution, which can optimize the surface hybrid structure, optical response and photocatalytic activity. Among all of samples, ZnO/g-C₃N₄ composites with a refluxing 12 h showed the enhancement of photocatalytic activity. The enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity of ZCN-12 composites can be ascribed to the synergistic effects of the construction of hybrid structures, reduction of structural defects of g-C₃N₄ nanosheets and suitable π-π restacking g-C₃N₄ nanosheets loading thickness.

Keywords: Photocatalytic activities; Self-assembly; g-C(3)N(4); π-π restacking.

MeSH terms

Catalysis
Graphite* / chemistry
Light
Nanocomposites / chemistry*
Nitrogen Compounds*
Particle Size
Photochemical Processes
Zinc Oxide*

Substances

Nitrogen Compounds
graphitic carbon nitride
Graphite
Zinc Oxide