Facile synthesis and enhanced visible-light photocatalysis of graphitic carbon nitride composite semiconductors.
The semiconductor heterojunction has been an effective architecture to enhance photocatalytic activity by promoting photogenerated charge separation. Here, graphitic carbon nitride (CN) and B-modified graphitic carbon nitride (CNB) composite semiconductors were fabricated by a facile calcination process using cheap, sustainable, and easily available sodium tetraphenylboron and urea as precursors. The synthetic CN-CNB-25 semiconductor with a suitable CNB content showed the highest visible-light activity. Its degradation ratio for methyl orange and phenol was more than twice that of CN and CNB and its H2 evolution rate was ∼3.4 and ∼1.8 times higher than that of CN and CNB, respectively. It also displayed excellent stability and reusability. The enhanced activity of CN-CNB-25 was attributed predominantly to the efficient separation of photoinduced electrons and holes. This paper describes a visible-light-responsive CN composite semiconductor with great potential in environmental and energy applications.
State Key Laboratory of Photocatalysis on Energy and Environment, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350002 (PR China) http://wanglab.fzu.edu.cn; School of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Fuyang Normal College, Fuyang 236037 (PR China).
Huiquan
H
Li
Yuxing
Y
Liu
Xing
X
Gao
Cong
C
Fu
Xinchen
X
Wang
D060326:Chemistry Techniques, Synthetic; D004563:Electrochemistry; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D008027:Light; D009570:Nitriles / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D055668:Photochemical Processes; D012666:Semiconductors
D009570:Nitriles; C011206:cyanogen; D006108:Graphite
boron; carbon; photochemistry; semiconductors; water splitting