Tremella-like integrated carbon nitride with polyvinylimine-doped for enhancing photocatalytic degradation and hydrogen evolution performances

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• Tremella-like CN was prepared by onepot polymerization of polyethylenimine and urea. • The CN exhibits enhanced photocatalytic degradation and H 2 evolution performances. • UV–vis DRS, PL, PCR, EIS, band gap and reactive species explain enhanced mechanism. • The research provides simple, low-cost and environmental friendly CN photocatalyst. Graphite carbon nitride (CN) photocatalyst is deemed as a potential assistant to solve energy shortage and environmental pollution, thus plentiful researches have been devoting to improve its photocatalytic performance with simple and economic strategies. Herein, a tremella-like integrated CN photocatalyst with enhanced photocatalytic performance was fabricated via thermal-induce copolymerization of polyethylenimine (PEI) precursor with urea. The FTIR, SEM, TEM, XRD and XPS indicated that the PEI doped integrated CN photocatalyst (xPCN) was successfully constructed, and the optimized 32.5PCN photocatalyst can degrade 80% of tetracycline (3.18 times of pure CN) and produce hydrogen with the rate of 1223.44 μmol h −1 g −1 (2.46 times of pure CN) under visible light and atmospheric pressure. The UV–vis DRS, PL, PCR, EIS, band gap analysis and reactive species evaluation were conducted to explain the potential enhanced mechanism of photocatalytic performance. The research may utilize as a reference for developing more simple, low-cost and environmental-friendly CN photocatalysts for solving energy crisis and environmental problems.