Issue 97, 2016

Facile fabrication of metal-free urchin-like g-C3N4 with superior photocatalytic activity

Abstract

Spherical urchin-like graphitic carbon nitride nanoparticles with high specific surface area were prepared by thermal-induced self-condensation of melamine and a flower-like porous silica template. These urchin-like g-C3N4 were characterized by TEM, N2 physical adsorption, XRD, FT-IR, XPS, UV-Vis and PL spectra. After complete removal of the silica template, the urchin-like g-C3N4 particles exhibited almost 12.3 times higher activity than the conventional bulk g-C3N4 during photocatalytic degradation of RhB under visible light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the increased surface area (SBET = 131.5 m2 g−1) together with the reduced recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, as confirmed by the PL spectra. These urchin-like g-C3N4 nanoparticles demonstrate semiconductor-redox functions that make them candidates for use as catalyst supports, nitrogen-rich templates, and selective organic synthesis photocatalysts.

Graphical abstract: Facile fabrication of metal-free urchin-like g-C3N4 with superior photocatalytic activity

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
20 Aug 2016
Accepted
29 Sep 2016
First published
30 Sep 2016

RSC Adv., 2016,6, 94496-94501

Facile fabrication of metal-free urchin-like g-C3N4 with superior photocatalytic activity

L. Luo, A. Zhang, M. J. Janik, C. Song and X. Guo, RSC Adv., 2016, 6, 94496 DOI: 10.1039/C6RA20940H

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