Porous carbon-doped g-C3N4 with tunable band structure for boosting photocatalytic H2O2 production with simultaneous pollutants removal

Abstract

Photocatalytic H2O2 production with simultaneous organic pollutants degradation is intriguing, but has challenges in achieving economic practicality, efficient pollutants degradation, and suppressing the decomposition of generated H2O2. Herein, porous carbon-doped g-C3N4 (PCCN) was prepared using natural dead leaves as a morphology regulator and carbon source, resulting in nanopores and doping levels on g-C3N4 framework. Under visible-light irradiation for 1 h, optimal PCCN showed a superior H2O2 yield of 37.44 μmol·L−1 with simultaneous bisphenol-A (BPA) degradation of 96%, which is 4.44 and 3.84 times greater than those of pristine g-C3N4, respectively. The significantly enhanced H2O2 production is attributed to nanopores with more reactive sites and doping levels that extend lightabsorption· H2O2 is generated by the 2e-oxygen reduction reaction, and BPA is simultaneously mineralized by h+ and •O2− . This work proposes a promising pragmatic synthesis of high-photocatalytic materials and provides new insights into energy conversion coupled with wastewater recycling.