Chinese Journal of Catalysis ›› 2021, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (4): 627-636.DOI: 10.1016/S1872-2067(20)63684-1

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Highly crystalline carbon nitride hollow spheres with enhanced photocatalytic performance

Yang Lia,b, Dainan Zhanga, Jiajie Fanc, Quanjun Xianga,*()   

  1. aState Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Film and Integrated Devices, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, Sichuan, China
    bCollege of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, Hubei, China
    cSchool of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450002, Henan, China
  • Received:2020-05-26 Accepted:2020-07-11 Online:2021-04-18 Published:2021-01-22
  • Contact: Quanjun Xiang
  • About author:*Tel/Fax: +86-28-83207063; E-mail: xiangqj@uestc.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    Natural Science Foundation of China(51672099);Natural Science Foundation of China(21403079);Sichuan Science and Technology Program(2019JDRC0027);Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2017-QR-25)

Abstract:

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) has emerged as a remarkably promising photocatalyst for addressing environmental and energy issues; however, it exhibits only moderate photocatalytic activity because of its low specific surface area and high recombination of carriers. Preparation of crystalline g-C3N4 by the molten salt method has proven to be an effective method to improve the photocatalytic activity. However, crystalline g-C3N4 prepared by the conventional molten salt method exhibits a less regular morphology. Herein, highly crystalline g-C3N4 hollow spheres (CCNHS) were successfully prepared by the molten salt method using cyanuric acid-melamine as a precursor. The higher crystallization of the CCNHS samples not only repaired the structural defects at the surface of the CCNHS samples but also established a built-in electric field between heptazine-based g-C3N4 and triazine-based g-C3N4. The hollow structure improved the level of light energy utilization and increased the number of active sites for photocatalytic reactions. Because of the above characteristics, the as-prepared CCNHS samples simultaneously realized photocatalytic hydrogen evolution with the degradation of the plasticizer bisphenol A. This research offers a new perspective on the structural optimization of supramolecular self-assembly.

Key words: Crystalline, Hollow spheres, Graphitic carbon nitride, Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, Photocatalytic degradation, Plasticizer