Dual-defect-modified graphitic carbon nitride with boosted photocatalytic activity under visible light.

Content Provider	Europe PMC
Author	Katsumata, Hideyuki Higashi, Fumiya Kobayashi, Yuya Tateishi, Ikki Furukawa, Mai Kaneco, Satoshi
Abstract	The development of photocatalysts that efficiently degrade organic pollutants is an important environmental-remediation objective. To that end, we report a strategy for the ready fabrication of oxygen-doped graphitic carbon nitride (CN) with engendered nitrogen deficiencies. The addition of KOH and oxalic acid during the thermal condensation of urea led to a material that exhibits a significantly higher pseudo-first-order rate constant for the degradation of bisphenol A (BPA) (0.0225 min-1) compared to that of CN (0.00222 min-1). The enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of BPA exhibited by the dual-defect-modified CN (Bt-OA-CN) is ascribable to a considerable red-shift in its light absorption compared to that of CN, as well as its modulated energy band structure and more-efficient charge separation. Furthermore, we confirmed that the in-situ-formed cyano groups in the Bt-OA-CN photocatalyst act as strong electron-withdrawing groups that efficiently separate and transfer photo-generated charge carriers to the surface of the photocatalyst. This study provides novel insight into the in-situ dual-defect strategy for g-C3N4, which is extendable to the modification of other photocatalysts; it also introduces Bt-OA-CN as a potential highly efficient visible-light-responsive photocatalyst for use in environmental-remediation applications.
Journal	Scientific Reports [Sci Rep]
Volume Number	9
DOI	10.1038/s41598-019-49949-6
PubMed Central reference number	PMC6795803
Issue Number	1
PubMed reference number	31619695
e-ISSN	20452322
Language	English
Publisher	Nature Publishing Group
Publisher Date	2019-10-16
Publisher Place	London
Access Restriction	Open
Subject Keyword	Photocatalysis Pollution remediation
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Multidisciplinary