M/g-C3N4 (M=Ag, Au, and Pd) composite: synthesis via sunlight photodeposition and application towards the degradation of bisphenol A

Abstract

In this work, natural sunlight successfully induced the deposition of gold (Au), silver (Ag), and palladium (Pd) nanoparticles (NPs) with 17.10, 9.07, and 12.70 wt% onto the surface of graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN). The photocatalytic evaluation was carried out by adopting Bisphenol A (BPA) as a pollutant under natural sunlight irradiation. The presence of noble metals was confirmed by EDX, HRTEM, and XPS analysis. The deposition of Ag NPs (7.9 nm) resulted in the degradation rate which was 2.15-fold higher than pure g-CN due to its relatively small particle size, contributing to superior charge separation efficiency. Au/g-CN unveiled inferior photoactivity because the LSPR phenomenon provided two pathways for electron transfer between Au NPs and g-CN further diminished the performance. The improved degradation lies crucially on the particle size and Schottky barrier formation at the interface of M/g-CN (M=Au, Ag, and Pd) but not the visible light harvesting properties. The mechanism insight revealed the holes (h) and superoxide radical (O) radical actively involved in photocatalytic reaction for all composites.

In Situ Liquid‐Phase Growth Strategies of g‐C3N4Solar‐Driven Heterogeneous Catalysts for Environmental Applications

“…Hak et al conducted a considerable number of theoretical and experimental studies to determine sunlight‐driven heterogeneous photocatalysts. [ 77 ] Various metal nanoparticles, including gold, silver, and palladium, were decorated onto the surface of g‐C 3 N 4 to degrade bisphenol A (BPA) under natural sunlight irradiation. The synthesis of M/g‐C 3 N 4 (M = Ag, Au, and Pd) composites was conducted using in situ photodeposition processes.…”

“…FESEM, EDX, TEM, and HRTEM images of a) Pd/g-C 3 N 4 , b) Ag/g-C 3 N 4 ,and c) Au/g-C 3 N 4 composites. Reproduced with permission [77]. Copyright 2018, Springer.…”

A Novel Visible-Light-Driven Photo-Fenton System Composed of Fe-Doped CdIn2S4/g-C3N4 Heterojunction and H2O2 to Remove Methyl Orange

“…To overcome these defects, researchers in related work have adopted a variety of methods, such as structural design, metal ion doping, , nonmetal doping, noble metal deposition, construction of heterojunctions, , and surface photosensitization to modify g-C 3 N 4 in recent years. Among these strategies, the construction of a heterostructure of g-C 3 N 4 and other semiconductors matched with its energy level has become a research hotspot for researchers, because photogenerated charges can be rapidly transferred through the heterojunction interface, thereby promoting a better charge separation effect and improving the catalytic performance of the material. − Cao successfully prepared TiO 2– x /Ag/g-C 3 N 4 heterojunction by evaporation-induced self-assembly process and photodeposition method, and then methyl orange (MO) dye was degraded under visible-light irradiation to study the effect of the material.…”

“…11,12 However, its practical application in the field of photocatalysis is hindered by its small specific surface area, fast photogenerated carrier recombination rate, and low light-response range. 13−17 To overcome these defects, researchers in related work have adopted a variety of methods, such as structural design, 18 metal ion doping, 19,20 nonmetal doping, 21 noble metal deposition, 22 construction of heterojunctions, 23,24 and surface photosensitization 25 to modify g-C 3 N 4 in recent years. Among these strategies, the construction of a heterostructure of g-C 3 N 4 and other semiconductors matched with its energy level has become a research hotspot for researchers, because photogenerated charges can be rapidly transferred through the heterojunction interface, thereby promoting a better charge separation effect and improving the catalytic performance of the material.…”

Continuous Flow Synthesis of High Valuable N-Heterocycles via Catalytic Conversion of Levulinic Acid

“…The surface chemistry of its polymeric structure can be easily controlled via molecular-level modification and surface engineering. Additionally, the polymeric nature of g-C 3 N 4 guarantees sufficient flexibility of the structure, which can serve as a compatible matrix for the anchorage of various inorganic nanoparticles and consequently can be successfully applied in a myriad of photocatalytic applications (Muñoz-Batista et al, 2015b, 2016, 2018; Xue et al, 2015; Fontelles-Carceller et al, 2016; Sastre et al, 2016; Zeng et al, 2017; Hak et al, 2018; Majeed et al, 2018). Despite the mentioned applications, graphitic carbon nitride-based materials have not been broadly employed toward the catalytic valorization of biomass-derived chemicals.…”