Self-assembly hybridization of COFs and g-C3N4: Decipher the charge transfer channel for enhanced photocatalytic activity

Han Wang; Eydhah Almatrafi; Ziwei Wang; Yang Yang; Ting Xiong; Hanbo Yu; Hong Qin; Hailan Yang; Yangzhuo He; Chenyun Zhou; Guangming Zeng; Piao Xu

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2021.10.036

Self-assembly hybridization of COFs and g-C₃N₄: Decipher the charge transfer channel for enhanced photocatalytic activity

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2022 Feb 15;608(Pt 1):1051-1063. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.10.036. Epub 2021 Oct 12.

Authors

Han Wang¹, Eydhah Almatrafi², Ziwei Wang³, Yang Yang³, Ting Xiong⁴, Hanbo Yu³, Hong Qin³, Hailan Yang³, Yangzhuo He³, Chenyun Zhou¹, Guangming Zeng⁵, Piao Xu⁶

Affiliations

¹ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education (Hunan University), Changsha 410082, PR China; Center of Research Excellence in Renewable Energy and Power Systems, Center of Excellence in Desalination Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering-Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
² Center of Research Excellence in Renewable Energy and Power Systems, Center of Excellence in Desalination Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering-Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
³ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education (Hunan University), Changsha 410082, PR China.
⁴ Institute of Big Data and Internet Innovation, Hunan University of Technology and Business, Changsha 410205, PR China.
⁵ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education (Hunan University), Changsha 410082, PR China. Electronic address: zgming@hnu.edu.cn.
⁶ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University and Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control, Ministry of Education (Hunan University), Changsha 410082, PR China; Center of Research Excellence in Renewable Energy and Power Systems, Center of Excellence in Desalination Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering-Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: piaoxu@hnu.edu.cn.

PMID: 34785453
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2021.10.036

Abstract

Organic semiconductors have been recognized as a new generation of photocatalysts for pollutants degradation and energy production. Herein, organic heterojunction (TpMa/CN) consisting of carbon nitride and β-ketoenamine-based covalent organic framework is fabricated via a controllable self-assembly approach. The as-prepared TpMa/CN heterojunctions show enlarged visible-light absorption. The optimum TpMa/CN-5 photocatalyst achieves the highest photocatalytic activity towards tetracycline degradation, and its photocatalytic degradation rate is improved by 2.3 and 4.3 times than TpMa and CN, respectively. As a multifunctional photocatalyst, TpMa/CN-5 sample also shows remarkable photocatalytic activity for hydrogen peroxide production (880.494 μM h^-1), which is 49 times higher than that of CN. Experimental and theoretical investigations indicate that a built-in electric field is formed at the interface of composite, which enables an accelerated charge transfer and separation. This work develops an effective strategy to design difunctional photocatalyst and deciphers the electronic properties and mechanisms of g-C₃N₄-based organic photocatalysts, which spurs further interests for organic heterojunction photocatalysts in the future.

Keywords: Covalent organic framework; Electric field; Graphitic carbon nitride; Photocatalysis; Self-assembling.

MeSH terms

Catalysis
Light
Metal-Organic Frameworks*
Semiconductors
Tetracycline*

Substances

Metal-Organic Frameworks
Tetracycline