Citation: Si-Zhan Wu, Cai-Hong Chen, Wei-De Zhang. Etching graphitic carbon nitride by acid for enhanced photocatalytic activity toward degradation of 4-nitrophenol[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2014, 25(9): 1247-1251. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2014.05.017 shu

Etching graphitic carbon nitride by acid for enhanced photocatalytic activity toward degradation of 4-nitrophenol

1.
School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, China

Corresponding author: Wei-De Zhang,
Received Date: 7 February 2014
Available Online: 3 April 2014
Fund Project: The authors thank the Guangdong Natural Science Foundation (No. S2012010008383) for financial support. (No. S2012010008383)

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) with high photocatalytic activity toward degradation of 4-nitrophenol under visible light irradiation was prepared by HCl etching followed by ammonia neutralization. The structure, morphology, surface area, and photocatalytic properties of the prepared samples were studied. After treatment, the size of the γ-C₃N₄ decreased from several micrometers to several hundred nanometers, and the specific area of the γ-C₃N₄ increased from 11.5 m²/g to 115 m²/g. Meanwhile, the photocatalytic activity of γ-C₃N₄ was significantly improved after treatment toward degradation of 4-nitrophenol under visible light irradiation. The degradation rate constant of the small particle γ-C₃N₄ is 5.7 times of that of bulk γ-C₃N₄, which makes it a promising visible light photocatalyst for future applications for water treatment and environmental remediation.
- Photocatalyst,
- 4-Nitrophenol,
- Etching,
- g-C₃N₄
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沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院沈阳 110142