Novel g-C3N4 nanosheets/CDs/BiOCl photocatalysts with exceptional activity under visible light

We fabricated novel ternary nanocomposites through integration of C-dots (carbon dots), BiOCl, and nanosheets of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄ nanosheets) by a cost-effective route. The fabricated photocatalysts were subsequently characterized by XRD, EDX, TEM, HRTEM, XPS, FT-IR, UV-vis DRS, TGA, BET, and PL methods to gain their structure, purity, morphology, optical, textural, and thermal properties. In addition, the degradation intermediates were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). Photocatalytic performance of the synthesized samples was studied by photodegradations of three cationic (RhB, MB, and fuchsine), one anionic (MO) dyes, one colorless (phenol) pollutant and removal of an inorganic pollutant (Cr(VI)) under visible light. It was revealed that the ternary nanocomposite with loading 20% of BiOCl illustrated superlative performances in the selected photocatalytic reactions compared with the corresponding bare and binary photocatalysts. Visible-light photocatalytic activity of the g-C₃N₄ nanosheets/CDs/BiOCl (20%) nanocomposite was 42.6, 27.8, 24.8, 20.2, and 15.9 times higher than the pure g-C₃N₄ for removal of RhB, MB, MO, fuchsine, and phenol, respectively. Likewise, the ternary photocatalyst showed enhanced activity of 15.3 times relative to the g-C₃N₄ in photoreduction of Cr(VI). Moreover, the ternary nanocomposite exhibited excellent chemical stability and recyclability after five cycles. Finally, the mechanism for improved photocatalytic performance was discussed based on the band potential positions.     

Mesoporous BiVO4/2D-g-C3N4 heterostructures for superior visible light-driven photocatalytic reduction of Hg(II) ions

In this contribution, a Z-scheme mesoporous BiVO₄/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposite heterojunction with a considerable surface area and high crystallinity was synthesized by a simple soft and hard template-assisted approach. This material demonstrates superior visible light-driven photocatalysis for the photoreduction of Hg(II) ions. TEM and XRD results show that the mesoporous BiVO₄ NPs, with a monoclinic phase and an ellipsoid-like shape, are highly dispersed onto the porous 2D surfaces of g-C₃N₄ nanosheets with a particle size of 5–10 nm. The obtained BiVO₄/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites with a p-n heterojunction show significantly enhanced Hg(II) photoreduction efficiency compared to the mesoporous BiVO₄ NPs and pristine g-C₃N₄. Among all synthesized photocatalysts, the 1.2% BiVO₄/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposite indicated the highest photoreduction of Hg(II) performance, reaching ~ 100% within 60 min; this result is 3.9 and 4.5 –fold larger than that of the BiVO₄ NPs and pristine g-C₃N₄. The Hg(II) photoreduction rates highly increase to 208.90, 314.95, 411.23 and 418.68 μmol g⁻¹min⁻¹ for the mesoporous 0.4, 0.8, 1.2 and 1.6% BiVO₄/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites, respectively. The reduction rate of the mesoporous 1.2% BiVO₄/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposite demonstrated a 5.2 and 3.8 times larger increase than that of the pristine g-C₃N₄ nanosheets and pure BiVO₄ NPs. The superior Hg(II) photoreduction efficiency was ascribed to decreased carrier recombination and the improved utilization of visible light by constructing BiVO₄/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites with a p-n junction. Transient photocurrent measurement and photoluminescence spectra were employed to confirm the possible Hg(II) photoreduction mechanism over these BiVO₄/g-C₃N₄ photocatalysts. This research provides an accessible route for the nanoengineered design of mesoporous BiVO₄/g-C₃N₄ heterostructures that demonstrated unique photocatalytic performance.     

Facile one-step synthesis of pellet-press-assisted saddle-curl-edge-like g-C3N4 nanosheets for improved visible-light photocatalytic activity

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) has attracted increasing interest as a visible-light-active photocatalyst. In this study, saddle-curl-edge-like g-C₃N₄ nanosheets were prepared using a pellet presser (referred to as g-CN P nanosheets). Urea was used as the precursor for the preparation of g-C₃N₄. Thermal polymerization of urea in a pellet form significantly affected the properties of g-C₃N₄. Systematic investigations were performed, and the results for the modified g-C₃N₄ nanosheets are presented herein. These results were compared with those for pristine g-C₃N₄ to identify the factors that affected the fundamental properties. X-ray diffraction analysis and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed a crystallinity improvement in the g-CN P nanosheets. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy provided clear information regarding the fundamental modes of g-C₃N₄, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) peak-fitting investigations revealed the variations of C and N in detail. The light-harvesting property and separation efficiency of the photogenerated charge carriers were examined via optical absorption and photoluminescence studies. The valence band edge and conduction band edge potentials were calculated using XPS, and the results indicated a significant reduction in the bandgap for the g-CN P nanosheets. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area increased for the g-CN P nanosheets. The photocatalytic degradation performance of the g-CN P nanosheets was tested by applying a potential and using the classical dye Rhodamine B (RhB). The RhB dye solution was almost completely degraded within 28 min. The rate constant of the g-CN P nanosheets was increased by a factor of 3.8 compared with the pristine g-C₃N₄ nanosheets. The high crystallinity, enhanced light absorption, reduced bandgap, and increased surface area of the saddle-curl-edge-like morphology boosted the photocatalytic performance of the g-CN P nanosheets.     

Construction of g-C3N4/TiO2/Ag composites with enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity and antibacterial properties

In this study, the multifunctional carbon nitride based composite graphitic-C₃N₄ (g-C₃N₄)/TiO₂/Ag was prepared through a simple and efficient vacuum freeze-drying route. TiO₂ and Ag nanoparticles were demonstrated to decorate onto the surface of g-C₃N₄ sheet. In the ultraviolet–visible absorption test, a narrower band gap and red-shift of light absorption edge were observed for g-C₃N₄/TiO₂/Ag compared to pristine g-C₃N₄ and single-component modified g-C₃N₄/TiO₂. The photodegradation property of g-C₃N₄/TiO₂/Ag was investigated toward the degradation of methylene blue (abbreviated as MB) under the irradiation of visible light. These results indicated that the degradation performance of organic dyes for g-C₃N₄/TiO₂/Ag was obviously improved compared with g-C₃N₄/TiO₂ and g-C₃N₄. The reaction rate constant of MB degradation for g-C₃N₄/TiO₂/Ag was 4.24 times higher than that of pristine g-C₃N₄. In addition, such rationally constructed nanocomposite presented evidently enhanced antibacterial performance against the Gram-negative Escherichia coli. Concentration dependent antibacterial performance was systematically investigated. And 84% bacterial cell viability loss had been observed at 500 μg/mL g-C₃N₄/TiO₂/Ag within 2 h visible light irradiation.     

Synthesis of dynamic g-C3N4/Fe@ZnO nanocomposites for environmental remediation applications

An effective g-C₃N₄/Fe@ZnO heterostructured photocatalyst was synthesized by a simple chemical co-precipitation method and characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that 7-8 nm-sized 1%Fe@ZnO nanoparticles were evenly distributed on g-C₃N₄ nanosheets to form a hybrid composite. The photocatalytic effectiveness of the composites was assessed against methylene blue dye, and it was found that the 50%g-C₃N₄/Fe@ZnO photocatalyst was more efficient in harvesting solar energy to degrade dye than the ZnO, 1%Fe@ZnO, g-C₃N₄, g-C₃N₄/ZnO and (10, 25, 40, 60 & 75 wt%) g-C₃N₄/Fe@ZnO samples. The antibacterial competency of the samples was also explored against Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus salivarius) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria through the well diffusion method. The 50%g-C₃N₄/Fe@ZnO nanocomposite exhibited a superior antibacterial action compared to that of the rest of the samples. The exceptionally improved photocatalytic and antimicrobial efficiency of the 50%g-C₃N₄/Fe@ZnO composite was primarily accredited to the synergic outcome of the interface established between Fe@ZnO nanoparticles and g-C₃N₄ nanosheets.     

One-Step Synthesis of g-C3N4 Nanosheets with Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance for Organic Pollutants Degradation Under Visible Light Irradiation

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) has received much interest as a visible-light-driven photocatalyst for degrading pollutants such as organic dyes and antibiotics. However, g-C₃N₄ bulk activity could not meet expectations due to its rapid recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs and low specific surface area. In our study, melamine was thermally treated one-step in the presence of NH₄Cl to produce g-C₃N₄ nanosheets. The characterizations of surface morphology and optical properties of all g-C₃N₄ samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Compared to bulk g-C₃N₄, g-C₃N₄ nanosheets demonstrated excellent photocatalytic activities, with approximately 98% RhB removal after 210 min of visible light irradiation. Furthermore, the effect of catalyst dosage, pH, and RhB concentration on the removal percentage dye of g-C₃N₄ nanosheets was also investigated. h⁺ and ^?O₂^? species were demonstrated as the key reactive species for the RhB. Besides, ECN exposed a tetracycline degradation efficiency of 80.5% under visible-light irradiation for 210 min, which is higher than BCN (60.8%). The improved photocatalytic activity of g-C₃N₄ nanosheets is due to the restriction of the recombination of photogenerated electrons/hole pairs, as provided by photoluminescence spectra and Nyquist plot. As a result, our research may offer an effective approach to fabricating g-C₃N₄ nanosheets with high photocatalytic activity and high stability for environmental decontamination.

     

Rapid synthesis and characterization of advanced ceramic-polymeric nanocomposites for efficient photocatalytic decontamination of hazardous organic pollutant under visible light and inhibition of microbial biofilm

Ceramic-polymeric 3C–silicon carbide-graphitic carbon nitride (3C–SiC@g-C₃N₄) nanocomposites were synthesized by decorating cubic phased, ceramic 3C-Silicon carbide (3C–SiC) on the framework of the nanosheets of metal free polymeric graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) by single step pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) method. Morphological, structural, elemental and optical characterizations of the synthesized 3C–SiC@g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites were carried out. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) studies confirm the perfect anchoring of 3C–SiC on g-C₃N₄ nanosheets in 3C–SiC@g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites synthesized by PLAL method. Ultra-violet diffuse reflectance spectra (UV-DRS) of 3C–SiC@g-C₃N₄ indicated the enhancement of visible light absorption and also the narrowing down of band gap energy in 3C–SiC@g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites, as a result of the anchoring of 3C–SiC on g-C₃N₄. Also we noticed the decrease of photoluminescence (PL) emission intensities in the PL spectra of 3C–SiC@g-C₃N₄ with respect to pure g-C₃N₄, which indicates the reduced photo-induced charge recombination by the presence of 3C–SiC content on g-C₃N₄ nanosheets. In the application side, PLAL synthesized 3C–SiC@g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites exhibited enhanced visible light driven photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue dye in water, improved antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (gram-positive) bacteria, and also served as better inhibiting agent for biofilm formation, compared to pure g-C₃N₄ nanosheets. It is quite obvious from our studies that this ceramic-polymeric nanocomposite, 3C–SiC@g-C₃N₄ has the potential application for antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities in addition to its remarkable photocatalytic performance.     

Ultrathin graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets and graphene composite material as high-performance PtRu catalyst support for methanol electro-oxidation

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) has been demonstrated as an advanced support material for Pt nanoparticles (NPs) due to its excellent stability and abundant Lewis acid for anchoring metal NPs. However, its non-conductive nature and low surface areas still impede its application in electrochemical fields. Herein, a π–π stacking method is presented to prepare graphene/ultrathin g-C₃N₄ nanosheets composite support for PtRu catalyst. The weaknesses of g-C₃N₄ are greatly overcome by establishing a 2D layered structure. The significantly enhanced performance for this novel PtRu catalyst is ascribed to reasons as follows: the homogeneous dispersion of PtRu NPs on g-C₃N₄ nanosheets due to its abundant Lewis acid sites for anchoring PtRu NPs; the excellent mechanical resistance and stability of g-C₃N₄ nanosheets in acidic and oxidative environments; the increased electron conductivity of support by forming a layered structure and the strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) between metal NPs and g-C₃N₄ NS.     

Fabrication of in-situ Ti-Cx-N1−x phase enhanced porous Si3N4 absorbing composites by gel casting

In view of the lack of a conformal, load-bearing, lightweight, and high-temperature resistant integrated microwave-absorbing composites for applications under extremely complex conditions, this study successfully applies gel casting craft to porous Si₃N₄ microwave-absorbing composites. The high-temperature decomposition reaction of Ti₃SiC₂ powder was utilized to generate uniform Ti-C_x-N_1−x grains in situ and to enhance the mechanical and microwave-absorption properties of porous Ti-C_x-N_1−x/Si₃N₄ composites. The bending strength, fracture toughness, density, maximum reflection loss value, absorption bandwidth and matched thickness in P-band of the composite with 30 wt% Ti₃SiC₂ addition were 164.87 ± 7.56 MPa, 2.61 ± 0.13 MPa·m^1/2, 2.077 g/cm³, 32.42 dB, 1.74 GHz and 4.2 mm, respectively. The fracture toughness and bending strength of the composite were increased by 71.71% and 58.13%, respectively, compared with monolithic porous Si₃N₄. The electromagnetic wave loss mechanisms of the composites are proposed as a combination of conductivity loss, multiple reflections and scattering, interfacial polarization and defect polarization.     

Enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen evolution over TiO2/g-C3N4 2D heterojunction coupled with plasmon Ag nanoparticles

2D heterojunction based on g-C₃N₄ nanosheets with other semiconductor nanosheets is a promising way to improve photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) activity over g-C₃N₄. However, current 2D heterojunction based on g-C₃N₄ are unsatisfactory due to their insufficient absorption of visible light and inefficient charge separation. In this work, Ag/TiO₂/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites based on 2D heterojunction coupling with Ag surface plasmon resonance (SPR) were synthesized by a method combining facile wetness impregnation calcination. The PHE activity of Ag/TiO₂/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites is attributed to the TiO₂/g-C₃N₄ 2D heterojunction and bare g-C₃N₄ nanosheet under visible light irradiation, indicating a cooperative effect between Ag and TiO₂/g-C₃N₄ 2D heterojunction. As a result of SPR effect, the composites strongly absorb visible light. In addition, the oscillating hot electrons from Ag can easily transfer to 2D heterojunction. This synergistic effect lead to sufficient visible light absorption and efficient charge separation of 2D heterojunction, which improved the PHE activity of g-C₃N₄. This work indicates that loading metal nanoparticles on 2D heterojunction as metal SPR-2D heterojunction nanocomposites may be a potential method for harvesting visible light for PHE.     

Au nanoparticles-doped g-C3N4 nanocomposites for enhanced photocatalytic performance under visible light illumination

Surface and bandgap engineering of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) could be vital in enhancing photocatalytic performance by suppressing the recombination rate of photogenerated electron-hole pairs. The present report investigated the doping effects of various wt.% (0.2–5.0%) of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) to g-C₃N₄ (Au/g-C₃N₄) for the enhancement of the photocatalytic efficiency of g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites. A straightforward and cost-effective synthesis methodology has been applied for the desired nanocomposites. Relevant characterization tools such as XRD, XPS, TEM, FTIR, and UV–Vis were utilized to analyze various physicochemical properties. The TEM images clearly show that spherical Au NPs were homogeneously distributed into the thin carbon nitride graphitic layers, confirming the successful doping of Au. The higher-magnification TEM image confirms that the sizes of the Au NPs varied from 15 to 25 nm. The photoactivity of the newly designed Au/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites has been evaluated for the degradation of both methylene blue dye and the drug gemifloxacin mesylate, and their efficiencies were compared with that of bare g-C₃N₄. Our findings revealed that Au/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites with various Au contents had superior photocatalytic activity compared to bare g-C₃N₄. However, the 1%Au/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposite could be considered the optimum photocatalyst, producing 95.13% destruction of the target dye molecule in 90 min, in contrast to the 69% achieved with bare g-C3N4, under the clean energy of visible light illumination. Additionally, the photodegradation rate of the 1%Au/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposite is 2.69 times higher than the rate of bare g-C₃N₄. This report might open a new gateway towards a straightforward and cost-effective synthesis approach for Au/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposites and provides a smooth and robust platform for the utilization of this new nanocomposite for environmental remediation processes.     

Assembled porous Fe3O4@g-C3N4 hybrid nanocomposites with multiple interface polarization for stable microwave absorption

Magnetic/dielectric composites can offer good electromagnetic impendence. However, the strategy for embodying strong absorbing ability and broad effective absorption band simultaneously is a significant challenge. Therefore, assembled porous Fe₃O₄@g-C₃N₄ hybrid nanocomposites have been designed and synthesized, in which porous Fe₃O₄ nanospheres assembled by ~ 3?nm Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles are surrounded by g-C₃N₄. The introduction of g-C₃N₄ improves dielectric loss ability at 2–18?GHz and magnetic loss ability at 2–10?GHz, and enhances attenuation constant, and increases electromagnetic impedance degree. These merits ensure that assembled porous Fe₃O₄/g-C₃N₄ hybrid nanocomposites deliver superior microwave absorption performance, such as effective absorption bandwidth, f_E, (reflection loss less ??10?dB) exceeding 5?GHz at 2.0–2.3?mm, the maximal f_E of 5.76?GHz and minimal reflection loss of at least ??20?dB with thickness ranging from 2.3 to 10.0?mm, avoiding the sensitivity of absorption properties to absorbing layer thickness. Stable microwave absorbing performance originates from multi-interfacial polarization, multi-reflection, enhanced electromagnetic loss capability, and good electromagnetic impedance. Our study offers a new idea for stable microwave absorber at 2–18?GHz.     

Fabrication of g-C3N4/Au nanocomposite using laser ablation and its application as an effective catalyst in the reduction of organic pollutants in water

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were fabricated by laser ablation in liquid (LAL) as a green method and decorated on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) by a facile ultrasonication method. g-C₃N₄ was prepared via urea pyrolysis. The prepared g-C₃N₄/Au (denoted as CN/Au) nanocomposite was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS). The synthesized CN/Au nanocomposite was applied as an efficient catalyst in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) and methyl orange (MO) using NaBH₄ at room temperature. The recyclability of CN/Au catalyst was examined.     

Amino group-rich porous g-C3N4 nanosheet photocatalyst: Facile oxalic acid-induced synthesis and improved H2-evolution activity

The reasonable modulation of tri-s-triazine structure units of g-C₃N₄ is an effective method to optimize its intrinsic electronic and optical properties, thus boosting its photocatalytic hydrogen-evolution activity. Herein, amino groups are successfully introduced into the tri-s-triazine structure units of g-C₃N₄ nanosheets to improve their H₂-evolution activity via a facile oxalic acid-induced supramolecular assembly strategy. In this case, the resulting amino group-rich porous g-C₃N₄ nanosheets display a loose and fluffy structure with a large specific surface area (70.41 m² g^?1) and pore volume (0.50 cm³? g^??1), and enhanced visible-light absorption (450–800 nm). Photocatalytic tests reveal that the amino group-rich porous g-C₃N₄ nanosheets (AP-CN1.0 nanosheets) exhibit a significantly elevated photocatalytic H₂-production activity (130.7 μmol h^?1, AQE = 5.58%), which is much greater than that of bulk g-C₃N₄ by a factor of 4.9 times. The enhanced hydrogen-generation performance of amino group-rich porous g-C₃N₄ nanosheets can be mainly attributed to the introduction of more amino groups, which can reinforce the visible-light absorption and work as the interfacial hydrogen-generation active centers to boost the photocatalytic hydrogen production. The present facile and effective regulation of tri-s-triazine structure units may provide an ideal route for the exploitation of novel and highly efficient g-C₃N₄ photocatalysts.     

Controlled preparation of P-doped g-C3N4 nanosheets for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production

Hydrogen production by photolysis of water by sunlight is an environmentally-friendly preparation technology for renewable energy. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄), despite with obvious catalytic effect, is still unsatisfactory for hydrogen production. In this work, phosphorus element is incorporated to tune g-C₃N₄'s property through calcinating the mixture of g-C₃N₄ and NaH₂PO_2, sacrificial agent and co-catalyst also been supplied to help efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production. Phosphorus (P) doped g-C₃N₄ samples (PCN-S) were prepared, and their catalytic properties were studied. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ultraviolet diffuse reflection (UV-DRS) were used to study their structures and morphologies. The results show that the reaction rate of PCN-S is 318 μmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹, which is 2.98 times as high as pure carbon nitride nanosheets (CN) can do. Our study paves a new avenue, which is simple, environment-friendly and sustainable, to synthesize highly efficient P doping g-C₃N₄ nanosheets for solar energy conversion.     

Enhanced antipressure ability through graphene oxide membrane by intercalating g-C3N4 nanosheets for water purification

Graphene oxide (GO) membranes have shown great potential for water purification, but their permeability and antipressure ability are poor, which limits their practical applications. In this study, two-dimensional graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) nanosheet-intercalated GO (GOCN) membranes were developed to improve the separation performance of GO membranes, especially under high operating pressure. After incorporation of the g-C₃N₄ nanosheets, the amount of permeable nanochannels (wrinkles or corrugation) in the membrane increased; hence, the water permeance was effectively improved (twice as high as that of GO membranes). Moreover, the antipressure performance of the GOCN membranes was significantly enhanced (even below 0.5 MPa pressure) as the nanochannels in the composite membranes become stable and rigid due to the support of the pressure-resistant g-C₃N₄ nanosheets. The good separation performance demonstrates that the intercalation of g-C₃N₄ is an effective strategy to improve the GO-based membrane properties, which can promote their application in water purification.     

Insight into the adsorption and photocatalytic properties of in-situ synthesized g-C3N4/SnS2 nanocomposite

In this paper, a novel g-C₃N₄/2 wt% SnS₂ nanocomposite was successfully synthesized using an in-situ growth of SnS₂ on g-C₃N₄. X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and photoluminescence (PL) spectrometer were used to characterize the photocatalysts. Exploring adsorption behavior, as an importatnt stage during photocatalytic reactions, is of great importance. Hence, both adsorption and photocatalytic performance of the synthesized photocatalysts have been investigated in detail. The adsorption isotherm fittings exhibited that Freundlich and Langmuir-Freundlich models can be applied to the methylene blue (MB) adsorption on the photocatalysts, indicating surface heterogeneity should be considered. A pseudo-second-order model was fitted to explore the adsorption kinetics. According to the observed redshift in the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) result of g-C₃N₄/SnS₂ nanocomposite, π-π interaction was dominant during MB adsorption. Also, a slight redshift and significant PL intensity reduction in g-C₃N₄/SnS₂ nanocomposite led to 96% photocatalytic efficiency after 180 min under visible light radiation. The kinetics of photodegradation over g-C₃N₄/SnS₂ was about 9 and 3 times higher than those of g-C₃N₄ and SnS₂ photocatalysts, respectively. The superoxide and hydroxyl radicals were the main reactive species in the photocatalytic degradation with a Z-scheme charge transfer mechanism. The g-C₃N₄/SnS₂ nanocomposite was found to be remarkably stable after three consecutive cycles of MB degradation.     

Carbon nitride nanowires/nanofibers: A novel template-free synthesis from a cyanuric chloride–melamine precursor towards enhanced adsorption and visible-light photocatalytic performance

The development of a graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) photocatalyst is of great importance to a variety of visible utilization application fields. The desired high efficiency can be achieved by employing well-controlled g-C₃N₄ nanostructures. In this study, we successfully synthesized high surface area g-C₃N₄ nanowires and nanofibers using a cyanuric chloride and melamine precursor dispersed in a solvothermal reaction and with a subsequent calcination step. The obtained novel nanowire product had a diameter of 10–20 nm and a length of several hundreds of nanometers, while the nanofibers revealed fibrous nanostructures of randomly dispersed fibers with an average diameter of ~15 nm. The adsorption and photocatalytic experimental results indicated that the as-prepared nanowires and nanofibers showed enhanced activities compared with bulk g-C₃N₄. Based on our experimental results, a possible photocatalytic mechanism with hydroxyl and superoxide radical species as the main active species in photocatalysis was proposed. Moreover, our strategy may provide progress toward the design and practical application of 1D g-C₃N₄ nanostructures in the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of pollutants.     

TiO2@g-C3N4 core/shell spheres with uniform mesoporous structures for high performance visible-light photocatalytic application

Mesoporous g-C₃N₄ nanosheets (MCN) with uniform pore size were utilized to decorate mesoporous TiO₂ spheres (TSs) to form a core-shell heterojunction photocatalyst containing uniform mesopores. Moreover, the mesoporous g-C₃N₄ nanosheets served as shells for composites, in addition to playing a pivotal function for the regulation of the pore structure of the composite. The mesoporous TiO₂@g-C₃N₄ core/shell structure having a uniform pore size exhibited high surface area of ∼134 m²/g. This coupled material with improved porosity, not only led to increased visible-light absorption but also led to the enhanced charge generation/separation. In addition, it showed a lengthy cycling stability with highly active visible-light efficiency to degrade Rhodamine B (RhB) dye.     

Graphite-like carbon nitride (g-C3N4): A promising microwave absorber

During the last few years, the ever-increasing development of electronic devices using and/or producing electromagnetic waves has exited the global concern related to the electromagnetic pollution. As a result, based on the transmission line theory, widespread microwave absorbing materials have been architected operating according to their permeability and permittivity to mitigate the pollution and their emerged hazards. At frequencies above 1 GHz, dielectric nanostructures, having more specific surface area, gained the considerable attention due to their salient microwave absorbing characteristics, originated from the enhanced dipole, interfacial, and defect polarization, deduced by Debye relaxation and Maxwell-Wagner model. Among them, two-dimensional (2D) nanostructures are under the spotlight owing to their unique electromagnetic features. Interestingly, g-C₃N₄ nanosheets illustrated salient microwave absorbing properties generated from its special conjugated structure synthesized from a decussate arrangement of nitrogen and carbon. The lone pair electrons and sp2 hybridization develop π→π*, n→π*, and n→σ* transitions enhancing interfacial interactions, bringing its outstanding microwave properties. In this study, a comprehensive perspective ascribed to the defect engineering, doping, compositing, and medium, influencing the microwave absorbing properties of g-C₃N₄ have been scrupulously dissected. More significantly, the main origins behind the observed permeability of this type of materials were essentially discussed.