Defect-modified reduced graphitic carbon nitride (RCN) enhanced oxidation performance for photocatalytic degradation of diclofenac

Xiaoyu Jin; Yuliang Wu; Qianxin Zhang; Fengliang Wang; Ping Chen; Haijin Liu; Shoubin Huang; Jianqing Wu; Ningyu Tu; Wenying Lv; Guoguang Liu

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127343

Defect-modified reduced graphitic carbon nitride (RCN) enhanced oxidation performance for photocatalytic degradation of diclofenac

Chemosphere. 2020 Nov:258:127343. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127343. Epub 2020 Jun 11.

Authors

Xiaoyu Jin¹, Yuliang Wu¹, Qianxin Zhang¹, Fengliang Wang¹, Ping Chen², Haijin Liu³, Shoubin Huang¹, Jianqing Wu¹, Ningyu Tu⁴, Wenying Lv¹, Guoguang Liu⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
² School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China; School of Environment, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control (SKLESPC), Beijing Key Laboratory for Emerging Organic Contaminants Control, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
³ Key Laboratory for Yellow River and Huaihe River Water Environment and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China.
⁴ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Petrochemical Technology, Maoming, 525000, PR China.
⁵ School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China. Electronic address: liugg615@163.com.

PMID: 32947672
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127343

Abstract

Hydroxyl radicals (OH) have robust non-selective oxidizing properties to effectively degrade organic pollutants. However, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) is restricted to directly generate OH due to its intrinsic valence band. In this study, we report a facile environmental-friendly self-modification strategy to synthesize reduced graphitic carbon nitride (RCN), with nitrogen vacancies and CN functional groups. The incorporation of CN enabled to downshift the valence band level, which endowed RCN with the capacity to directly generate OH via h⁺. Experimental and instrumental analyses revealed the critical roles of nitrogen vacancies and CN groups in the modification of the RCN band structure to improve its visible light absorption and oxidizing capacity. With these superior properties, the RCN was significantly enhanced for the photocatalytic degradation of DCF under visible light irradiation. The self-modification strategy articulated in this study has strong potential for the creation of customized g-C₃N₄ band structures with enhanced oxidation performance.

Keywords: Diclofenac; Hydroxyl radicals; Nitrogen vacancies; Photocatalytic; Reduced graphitic carbon nitride.

MeSH terms

Catalysis
Diclofenac / chemistry*
Graphite / chemistry*
Light
Nitrogen Compounds / chemistry*
Oxidation-Reduction
Photochemical Processes

Substances

Nitrogen Compounds
graphitic carbon nitride
Diclofenac
Graphite