Abstract

Constructing bulk defects and doping are feasible ways to essentially narrow the band gap and improve the light absorption of photocatalysts. Herein, inspired by bread foaming, the foaming agent azoformamide or azodicarbonamide (AC) was introduced during the thermal polymerization of urea. In the polymerization process, a large number of bubbles produced by AC decomposition seriously interfered with the polymerization of urea, resulting in the breaking of the hydrogen bonds and van der Waals interaction in carbon nitride, distortion of its structure, and partial oxidation, thus forming a series of porous carbon nitrides U/ACx (x is the ratio of AC to urea; where x = 0.25, 0.5, and 1) with bulk N defects and O doping. Its band gap was reduced to 1.91 eV and the absorption band edge was greatly extended to 650 nm. The optimal U/AC0.5 exhibits the highest visible light photocatalytic hydrogen production rate of about 44.7 μmol·h-1 (10 mg catalysts) and shows superior photocatalytic performance for the oxidation of diphenylhydrazine to azobenzene, with conversion and selectivity of almost 100%, and is one of the most active defective carbon nitrides, especially under long-wavelength (λ ≥ 550 nm) light irradiation. It paves the way for the design of highly efficient and wide-spectral-response photocatalysts.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.