Self-assembly synthesis of hollow phosphorus-doped graphitic carbon nitride microboxes for the photodegradation of organic pollutants

Si Cheng; Lifeng Miao; Kunze Xue; Zhenhong Bao; Jian Liang; Xiaohong Li; Wenjun Zhu; Yunxia Chen; Yongzhi Yu

doi:10.1039/d3cp04262f

Self-assembly synthesis of hollow phosphorus-doped graphitic carbon nitride microboxes for the photodegradation of organic pollutants

Phys Chem Chem Phys. 2023 Nov 22;25(45):31020-31027. doi: 10.1039/d3cp04262f.

Authors

Si Cheng¹, Lifeng Miao¹, Kunze Xue², Zhenhong Bao¹, Jian Liang¹, Xiaohong Li¹, Wenjun Zhu³, Yunxia Chen¹, Yongzhi Yu¹

Affiliations

¹ National Engineering Research Center for Domestic & Building Ceramics, Jingdezhen Ceramic University, Jingdezhen 333001, P. R. China. yuyongzhi1120@126.com.
² Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
³ School of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Jingdezhen Ceramic University, Jingdezhen 333403, P. R. China.

PMID: 37938902
DOI: 10.1039/d3cp04262f

Abstract

The rational design of photocatalysts with efficiency and stability is highly desirable but remains challenging. Here, we report a supramolecular self-assembly strategy to construct hollow phosphorus-doped g-C₃N₄ microboxes (PCNMs). Considering the effects of multiple parameters on the structure and activity of samples, the orthogonal design is innovatively introduced to optimize technology parameters for screening high-performance g-C₃N₄. Under visible light irradiation (λ ≥ 420 nm), rhodamine B (RhB, 4 mg L^-1) is completely degraded in just 80 seconds in the presence of the optimal PCNM. The kinetic rate constant of RhB degradation with the PCNM is 3.4633 min^-1, demonstrating unprecedented activity that is about 112 times higher than that of bulk g-C₃N₄ (0.0309 min^-1) synthesized by direct polycondensation of melamine. Additionally, the optimal PCNM also shows enhanced degradation efficiency for tetracycline. The outstanding properties are primarily attributed to the hollow architecture, high specific surface area, and phosphorus doping. This work advances the design of photocatalysts correlating various factors, opening an avenue for optimizing photocatalytic synthesis and activity.