One-step fabrication and high photocatalytic activity of porous graphitic carbon nitride/graphene oxide hybrid by direct polymerization of cyanamide without templates

Abstract

Graphene oxide modified porous g-C3N4 (porous g-C3N4/GO) had been synthesized by means of one-step calcination of cyanamide for efficient photocatalysis under visible light irradiation (λ > 400 nm). We expect that the photocatalytic activity of this hybrid photocatalyst could be enhanced by the efficient visible light absorption due to the porous structure and efficient photo generated charge separation at the heterojunction formed between porous g-C3N4 and GO. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images demonstrated that the as prepared photocatalyst is composed of GO and porous g-C3N4. The UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectrum shows that optical absorption of porous g-C3N4/GO is more intensive than for pristine g-C3N4. The enhanced generation of photocurrent under visible light irradiation (λ > 400 nm) is observed for the porous g-C3N4/GO. The results of photocatalytic experiments reveal that the pseudofirst-order kinetic constant of photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) using the porous g-C3N4/GO is 6 times higher than that of pristine g-C3N4.