A novel supramolecular preorganization route for improving g-C3N4/g-C3N4 metal-free homojunction photocatalysis. (18th September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Chuang; Dong, Xiaoli; Hao, Yuchen; Wang, Xiuying; Ma, Hongchao; Zhang, Xiufang
• Is Part Of: New journal of chemistry. Volume 41:Number 20(2017)
• Page Start: 11872
• Page End: 11880
• Publication Date: 2017-09-18
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; Chimie -- Périodiques; 540
• DOI: 10.1039/c7nj02639k
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1144-0546

Abstract

Abstract : Enhancing the novel g-C3 N4 /g-C3 N4 metal-free homojunction photocatalysis: efficient solar energy harvesting and charge transfer. Abstract : Heterojunction or homojunction construction has been demonstrated to be an effective method to boost photocarrier separation and transfer, leading to a greatly enhanced photocatalytic activity. However, the photocatalytic performance of conventional heterojunction or homojunction photocatalysts usually faces some challenges, such as low surface area, insufficient active sites, and poor interface contact area. In this research, for the first time, a novel graphitic carbon nitride/graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3 N4 /g-C3 N4 ) metal-free homojunction was successfully synthesized by calcining the supramolecular precursor self-assembly formed between hydrothermal melamine and dicyandiamide. The novel g-C3 N4 /g-C3 N4 metal-free homojunction features a nanomesh morphology with a high specific surface area, which is not detected in the other g-C3 N4 /g-C3 N4 composites. In addition, the in situ formation of the homojunction creates abundant interface contact, which improves the charge transfer ability. As expect, the as-prepared sample exhibited significantly enhanced visible light activity for rhodamine B degradation compared to the use of g-C3 N4 alone and was 4.3 times as active as conventional g-C3 N4 /g-C3 N4 composites. The results presented in this paper demonstrate that the novel supramolecular pre-organization route is valuable for the creation of a g-C3 N4 isotype homojunction with a large specific surface area and abundant interface contact. The feasibility of developing different supramolecular precursors for efficient C3 N4 photocatalysis using simple hydrothermal melamine and other nitrogen-rich precursors is proposed.