Visible-light responsive electrospun nanofibers based on polyacrylonitrile-dispersed graphitic carbon nitride. Issue 105 (13th October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Xu, Tiefeng; Wu, Fei; Gu, Yan; Chen, Yi; Cai, Jinting; Lu, Wangyang; Hu, Hongguang; Zhu, Zhexin; Chen, Wenxing
• Is Part Of: RSC advances. Volume 5:Issue 105(2015)
• Page Start: 86505
• Page End: 86512
• Publication Date: 2015-10-13
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540.5
• DOI: 10.1039/c5ra15973c
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2046-2069

Abstract

Abstract : A visible-light responsive photocatalyst, polyacrylonitrile-dispersed graphitic carbon nitride nanofibers (g-C3 N4 /PAN nanofibers), was synthesized by electrospinning. Abstract : A visible-light responsive photocatalyst, polyacrylonitrile-dispersed graphitic carbon nitride nanofibers (g-C3 N4 /PAN nanofibers), was synthesized by electrospinning. The g-C3 N4 is dispersed uniformly in the nanofibers, which helps it overcome the defects of easy aggregation and difficult recycling of powder catalysts. The model substrate, rhodamine B (RhB), could be adsorbed rapidly into the PAN nanofibers and decomposed efficiently in situ simultaneously in the presence of the g-C3 N4 over a wide pH range under visible light irradiation. As a fibrous catalyst, the g-C3 N4 /PAN nanofibers were quite simple to recycle, and the catalytic activity maintained a high level without obvious decline after being reused several times. In addition, based on the intermediates detected by ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, N -de-ethylation chromophore cleavage and ring-opening mineralization are the main processes in RhB degradation. Finally, a possible mechanism was proposed, in which the hole along with the superoxide radical mainly contribute to the oxidative degradation of RhB.