Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanosheets Research Articles

Activation of Peroxymonosulfate using a novel heterogeneous catalyst SO-gCN@ZIF-67 for excellent degradation of Brilliant Green dye

This work presents a design of a novel heterogeneous catalyst, SO-gCN@ZIF-67, comprising Co-based MOF, ZIF-67, over a two-dimensional S and O co-doped graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet is reported. This novel heterogeneous SO-gCN@ZIF-67 catalyst is used to degrade organic polluting dyes by activating Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) at room temperature. Various analytical and spectroscopic techniques, such as PXRD, FT-IR, FE-SEM, EDS, HR-TEM, XPS, and UV-DRS, were employed to characterize the as-synthesized nano-catalyst. The as-prepared catalyst can activate PMS effectively to rapidly decolorize the Brilliant Green dye (BG dye) solution at room temperature. The catalyst SO-gCN@ZIF-67 showed high efficiency for PMS activation and decolorization of approximately 96.7 % BG dye with a catalyst concentration of 80.0 mg/L, which was achieved in 15 min. The degradation of the dye obeyed pseudo-first-order kinetics with a reaction rate constant of 0.2262 min−1. Further, the parameters that could influence the activation of PMS, such as the role of different catalysts, catalyst dosage, PMS dosage, and initial dye concentration, were also investigated. Radical trapping experiments revealed that O2− radicals and non-radical singlet oxygen, 1O2, were involved in the degradation of BG dye. A plausible mechanism for the degradation has been proposed using SO-gCN@ZIF-67 and the PMS system.

Carbon nitride nanosheets induce pulmonary surfactant deposition via dysfunction of alveolar secretion and clearance

Graphitic carbon nitride is a new type of carbon-based nanomaterial with superior properties and great potential for application, which raised great concerns about their environmental and occupational exposure. Graphitic carbon nitride has been reported to accumulate in the lung potentially, however, the respiratory hazard effect of graphitic carbon nitride is still unknown. In the present study, we reported that graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) and its doped variant sulfur doped graphitic carbon nitride (S-g-CN) nanosheets inhalation induced pulmonary inflammation, increased the production of pulmonary surfactant in alveolar type II epithelial cells, accompanied by the upregulation of lipids transporter expression levels in alveolar macrophages to clear excessive pulmonary surfactant in the alveolar. Further investigation found that the internalization of g-CN and S-g-CN prevented lipid phagocytosis and metabolic processes in alveolar macrophages, ultimately leading to the deposition of proteins and phospholipids in the lung. Furthermore, we found that g-CN was more robust in inhalation toxicity compared to sulfur doped form, which meant the doping of sulfur in graphitic carbon nitride reduced hazardous effects on the respiratory system. In summary, our study demonstrated that inhalation of graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets caused the deposition of pulmonary surfactants in lung, providing an insightful reference for pulmonary toxicity assessment of graphitic carbon nitride.

Exfoliated 2-D Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanosheets for Electrochemical Detection of the Antiviral Drug Valganciclovir

Exfoliated 2-D Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanosheets for Electrochemical Detection of the Antiviral Drug Valganciclovir

Catalytic Activity of Fe/Mn Porphyrins Grafted on Graphitic Carbon Nitride in the Heterogeneous Oxidation of Olefins

ABSTRACTBiomimetic heterogeneous catalysts were prepared by immobilization of meso‐tetrakis(4‐carboxyphenyl)porphyrinatomanganese(III) acetate (MnTCPP) and meso‐tetrakis(4‐carboxyphenyl)porphyrinatoiron(III) chloride (FeTCPP) on graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) nanosheets. The anchored catalysts were characterized by various techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, powder X‐ray diffraction, ultraviolet visible, photoluminescence, flame atomic absorption, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated that the prepared catalysts were thermally stable up to almost 350°C, exhibiting high thermal stability. In the following, the catalytic efficiency of the prepared nanocatalyst was also investigated for the oxidation of various olefins with hydrogen peroxide (as a green oxidant) and the effect of various parameters which may affect the catalytic efficiency was optimized. The maximum conversion (100% for α‐methylstyrene and 97% for cyclooctene) was obtained in the presence of MnTCPP@C3N4. The Mn porphyrin nanocatalyst shows higher catalytic efficiency compared to the Fe porphyrin.

Exploring the role of redox-active species on NiS-NiS2 incorporated sulfur-doped graphitic carbon nitride nanohybrid as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting

The advancement of effective and robust catalysts that can replace the precious-metal-based benchmarks for electrocatalytic overall water splitting is a highly fashionable approach to exploring sustainable energy utilization and addressing environmental issues. Herein, we demonstrate a facile single-step fabrication of NiS-NiS2 nanoparticles in situ grown on the layered porous sulfur-doped graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (NiS-NiS2/SGCN) act as bifunctional electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in an alkaline medium.Further, an increasing the Ni precursor (fixed sulfur source) increases the formation of NiS-NiS2 on the surface of SGCN (labeled as NS-1.0, NS-2.0, and NS-3.0). Structural and morphological studies such as PXRD, XPS, FTIR, HR-TEM, etc., revealed a uniform distribution of NiS/NiS2 on the surface of S-g-C3N4 nanosheets. The OER and HER activity of NiS-NiS2/SGCN nanohybrid were significantly enhanced by increasing the affinity of accessible surface-active edge sites, interfacial contact allows effective modification of electronic structure, high structural porosity, redox-active centers of Ni2+/Ni3+, and rich in sulfur vacancy. In addition, the enhancement of the exposure of the edge sites is improved by their attachment to a sulfur-doped g-C3N4 framework. As a result, in the half-cell experiments, the NiS-NiS2/SGCN (NS-3.0) catalyst exhibited enhanced performance in both OER and HER, requiring an overpotential of 298 mV to reach 50 mA/cm2 for OER and −144 mV to reach 10 mA/cm2 for HER. Furthermore, the constructed electrolyzer using Ni-S 3.0 as the cathode and anode required a cell voltage of 1.66 V to yield 50 mA/cm2 in overall water splitting. This study may inspire the in-situ synthesis of different metal sulfides on SGCN to provide a unique interfacial approach for improving the performance of bifunctional non-precious electrocatalysts.

Harnessing palladium-decorated g-C3N4 nanosheets for selective catalytic benzyl alcohol synthesis

The selective reduction of benzaldehyde to benzyl alcohol (a pivotal model reaction for the low-temperature stabilization of bio-oil) was meticulously investigated. This study delved into the catalytic prowess of Pd-modified g-C3N4 nanosheets (PdxCN) within a liquid-phase environment, utilizing H2 as the reducing agent under benign conditions. A series of photocatalysts were synthesized by impregnating graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (NS-CN) with varying weight percent loadings of Pd nanoparticles. In the context of this selective hydrogenation, the catalytic activity of Pd2CN catalysts outshone that of pure NS-CN and other reference catalysts, exhibiting remarkable efficacy with benzyl alcohol yields nearing perfection at approximately 99%. Moreover, these catalysts demonstrated enduring catalytic reusability and reproducibility. The optimization of experimental parameters, encompassing weight percent loading of co-catalyst, catalyst quantity, temperature, and reaction duration, was systematically undertaken to achieve optimal benzyl alcohol yield.

Novel S-scheme β-Cu2V2O7/Ni/Pg-C3N4 heterojunction photocatalyst for sunlight-induced degradation of RhB

A novel S-scheme β-Cu2V2O7/Ni/Pg-C3N4 nanocomposite photocatalyst has been advantageously established by propelling β-Cu2V2O7 nanoparticles (NPs) on the top layer of porous graphitic carbon nitride (Pg-C3N4) nanosheets (NSs) using a facile co-precipitation approach. Implementing photoelectrochemical and physicochemical techniques, the crystallinity, purity, optical quality, morphology, chemical composition, and charge separation efficiency of the produced samples were examined. The outcomes indicate that metallic Ni and β-Cu2V2O7 NPs were perfectly encapsulated onto the Pg-C3N4 NSs and well-matched band structures between both semiconductors facilitate the creation of an S-scheme charge transfer path. The fabricated pristine and β-Cu2V2O7/Ni/Pg-C3N4 composite samples were utilized as a catalyst for the removal of rhodamine B (RhB) dye under sunlight irradiation. The β-Cu2V2O7/Ni/Pg-C3N4 nanocomposite exhibits exceptional activity within 60 min of radiation exposure (RhB- 98.56%), whereas β-Cu2V2O7 and Pg-C3N4 show reduced activity (RhB-34.4% and 45.68%). The favourable impact of S-scheme nanocomposite establishment boosted photocatalytic behavior using the intrinsic electric field among Pg-C3N4 NSs and β-Cu2V2O7 and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of metallic Nickel (Ni) NPs for delivering e− and h+ pairs and prolonging the life of charge carriers. According to radical scavenging experiments •O2− is the primary reactive species followed by •OH radicals. The produced nanocomposite has the potential to be employed in large-scale photocatalytic water treatment, as evidenced by the photocatalyst's excellent efficiency and reusability after five consecutive experiments.

Soil application of graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets alleviate cadmium toxicity by altering subcellular distribution, chemical forms of cadmium and improving nitrogen availability in soybean (Glycine max L.)

Cadmium (Cd)-contamination impairs biological nitrogen fixation in legumes (BNF), threatening global food security. Innovative strategies to enhance BNF and improve plant resistance to Cd are therefore crucial. This study investigates the effects of graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (g-C3N4 NSs) on soybean (Glycine max L.) in Cd contaminated soil, focusing on Cd distribution, chemical forms and nitrogen (N) fixation. Soybean plants were treated with 100 mg kg−1 g-C3N4 NSs, with or without 10 mg kg−1 Cd for 4 weeks. Soil addition of g-C3N4 NSs alleviated Cd toxicity and promote soybean growth via scavenging Cd-mediated oxidative stress and improving photosynthesis. Compared to Cd treatment, g-C3N4 NSs increased shoot and root dry weights under Cd toxicity by 49.5% and 63.4%, respectively. g-C3N4 NSs lowered Cd content by 35.7%–54.1%, redistributed Cd subcellularly by increasing its proportion in the cell wall and decreasing it in soluble fractions and organelles, and converted Cd from high-toxicity to low-toxicity forms. Additionally, g-C3N4 NSs improved the soil N cycle, stimulated nodulation, and increased the N-fixing capacity of nodules, thus increasing N content in shoots and roots by 12.4% and 43.2%, respectively. Mechanistic analysis revealed that g-C3N4 NSs mitigated Cd-induced loss of endogenous nitric oxide in nodules, restoring nodule development. This study highlights the potential of g-C3N4 NSs for remediating Cd-contaminated soil, reducing Cd accumulation, and enhancing plant growth and N fixation, offering new insights into the use of carbon nanomaterials for soil improvement and legume productivity under metal(loid)s stress.

Glassy carbon electrodes modified with graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets and CoNiO2 bimetallic oxide nanoparticles as electrochemical sensor for Sunitinib detection in human fluid matrices and pharmaceutical samples.

Asophisticated electrochemical sensoris presented employing a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified with a novel composite of synthesized graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and CoNiO2 bimetallic oxide nanoparticles (g-C3N4/CoNiO2). The sensor's electrocatalytic capabilities for Sunitinib (SUNI) oxidation were demonstratedexceptional performance with a calculated detection limit (LOD) of 52.0nM. The successful synthesis and integrity of the composite were confirmed through meticulous characterization using various techniques. FT-IR analysis affirmed the successful synthesis of g-C3N4/CoNiO2 by providing insights into its molecular structure. XRD, FE-SEM, SEM-EDX, and BET analyses collectively validated the material's structural integrity, surface morphology, and electrocatalytic performance. Optimization of key analytical parameters, such as loading volume, concentration, electrolyte solution type, and pH, enhanced the electrocatalytic sensing capabilities of g-C3N4/CoNiO2. The synergistic interaction between g-C3N4 and CoNiO2 bimetallic oxide nanoparticles executed the sensor highly effective in the electrical oxidation of SUNI. Across a concentration range of 0.1-83.8µMSUNI, the anodic peak current exhibited a linear increasewith good precision. Application of the newly developed g-C3N4/CoNiO2 system to detect SUNI in a variety of samples, including urine, human serum, and capsule dosage forms, obtained satisfactory recoveries ranging from 97.1 to 103.0%. This methodology offers a novel approach to underscore the potential of the developed sensor for applications in biological and pharmaceutical monitoring.

NiCo-LDH sheets and Ag3PO4 nanoparticles decorated on graphitic carbon nitride for efficient oxygen evolution reaction

Ternary heterostructure engineering enables highly efficient interfacial charge transfer, which can enhance the efficiency of electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and has thus attracted widespread interest in electrocatalysis. NiCo-LDH/CN/AgPO was synthesized via ultrasonication and subjected to morphological analyses using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and (high-resolution) transmission electron microscopy. The synergistic effects in the ternary heterostructured NiCo-LDH/CN/AgPO nanocomposite comprising 2D nickel-cobalt layered double hydroxide (NiCo-LDH) and silver phosphate (Ag3PO4) nanospecies anchored on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets will provide promising features as an electrode for the alkaline oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The NiCo-LDH/CN/AgPO heterostructure demonstrated exceptional electrocatalytic OER performance compared to AgPO/NiCo-LDH, AgPO/CN, and CN, achieving a low overpotential of 289 mV for the OER at 10 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M KOH. This superior catalytic activity is attributed to the relatively large electroactive surface area, rapid charge transfer capability, and intimate interactions between the components. The innovative design and synthesis of the NiCo-LDH/CN/AgPO heterostructure provide significant potential for constructing electrocatalysts with superior efficacy in oxygen evolution reactions.

Photocatalytic Generation of Singlet Oxygen by Graphitic Carbon Nitride for Antibacterial Applications.

Carbon-based functional nanocomposites have emerged as potent antimicrobial agents and can be exploited as a viable option to overcome antibiotic resistance of bacterial strains. In the present study, graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets are prepared by controlled calcination of urea. Spectroscopic measurements show that the nanosheets consist of abundant carbonyl groups and exhibit apparent photocatalytic activity under UV photoirradiation towards the selective production of singlet oxygen. Therefore, the nanosheets can effectively damage the bacterial cell membranes and inhibit the growth of bacterial cells, such as Gram-negative Escherichia coli, as confirmed in photodynamic, fluorescence microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy measurements. The results from this research highlight the unique potential of carbon nitride derivatives as potent antimicrobial agents.

Chemically modified graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets for the selective turn-off fluorescence detection of Al(III) ions in crabs (Brachyura).

The selective and sensitive detection of Al(III) is critically important for human health since the level of Al(III) is an indicator of many diseases in humans. Herein, we developed a simple and sensitive fluorescent sensor for the detection of Al(III) in an aqueous solution based on the fluorescence of hydroxyl-functionalized graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (HO/g-CN). OH/g-CN nanosheets were synthesized via the thermal pyrolysis of 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine (as raw material) at 550 °C for 2 hours, followed by thermal alkali treatment at 730 °C for 2 min. The fluorescence of HO/g-CN at 377 nm (at 290 nm excitation) can be quenched by Al(III) effectively and selectively, and the linear relationship between the concentration of Al(III) and fluorescence intensity is in the range of 1.85-14.82 μM with a detection limit of 0.272 μM. The fluorescence turn-off effect of the Al(III) ion on the prepared HO/g-CN nanosheets could be attributed to the presence of oxygen- and nitrogen-containing functional groups on the surface of HO/g-CN that have chelating interactions with Al(III), leading to quenching. The surface functional groups of OH/g-CN were confirmed using different characterization techniques (FTIR, EDX, and XPS). Moreover, the prepared HO/g-CN exhibited remarkable long-term fluorescence stability in water (>30 days) and minimal toxicity. Importantly, a prepared novel fluorescent sensor (HO/g-CN) was successfully applied for the detection and determination of Al(III) in commercially available crab (Brachyura) samples.

Boosting the tribological properties by developing a g-C3N4/RGO nanocomposite as lubricant additive

Herein, the graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets are protonated treatment and then electrostatically self-assembled with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) to obtain g-C3N4/RGO nanocomposite. When employed as a lubricant additive, the amino groups in g-C3N4 can accelerate the formation of friction films, while the cataclastic RGO nanosheets can repair worn surface and reduce wear. Meanwhile, the weak interaction between g-C3N4 and RGO sheets possesses low shear stress, producing interlayer slip, which can effectively reduce friction and anti-wear. As expected, the coefficient of friction (COF) of 0.103 and the wear volume of 0.86 × 105 μm3 for the lubricant containing 2.0 wt% g-C3N4/RGO are 62.3 % and 96.0 % lower than PAO-10 base oil, respectively.

Shape memory behavior of polyethylene-foam-based nanocomposite for sustainable triboelectric nanogenerators

Durable self-powering electronic devices need high-performance triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) with shape memory capabilities. A novel porous shape memory polymer nanocomposite that includes polyethylene foam (PEF) with switching molecules and graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets is designed to create a robust, high-performance TENG. This nanocomposite shows outstanding thermal-actuated shape recovery capabilities by heating at 70 °C. Although the TENG initially excels in output performance (1840 V voltage, 79.66 mW.cm‐2 power density), prolonged harsh conditions cause nanocomposite deformation and performance decline. However, heating the nanocomposite to 70 °C fully restores the TENG’s original performance. Besides, the COMSOL Multiphysics simulation of TENG aligns with the experimental results. Furthermore, two TENG application scenarios are demonstrated: self-charging humidity sensing (where TENG’s output performance is humidity-sensitive and decreases as humidity rises) and powering electronic devices (where TENG turns on commercial LEDs, powers a smartwatch, and charges capacitors). Therefore, this TENG may open new possibilities for future self-powered electrical devices and sensors.

Au nanoparticles decorated graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets as a sensitive and selective fluorescence probe for Fe3+ and dichromate ions in aqueous medium

Graphitic carbon nitride mutated with metal nanoparticles has captivated great interest as an effective fluorescent sensor for the detection of harmful ions present in water. In the present work, bulk-gCN was synthesized using melamine as precursor, and further Au-gCN nanocomposite were fabricated via in-situ direct reduction deposition method. The structural, morphological, compositional, stability and optical properties of bulk gCN and Au-gCN nanocomposite were examined using various scattering and spectroscopic techniques such as HRTEM, XPS, XRD and SEM. The synthesized bulk gCN straggles during selectivity studies with different cations and anions because of its uneven surface morphology, however in Au-gCN gold nanoparticles are uniformly distributed on the gCN sheets which results in its enhanced selectivity over bulk gCN. This leads to the fabrication of an optical sensor for Fe3+ and Cr2O72− ions with limit of detection of 4.62 and 2.77 μM, respectively. The sensing of Fe3+ ions corresponds to the photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanism, while the detection of chromate species is associated with an inner filter effect (IFE). The practical applicability of the sensor was also evaluated for different environmental water samples. The high stability, sensitivity, and specificity of Au-gCN nanocomposite make it a potential fluorescent probe for Fe3+ and Cr2O72− ions in water samples.

Facet-Engineered Cu2O Microparticles on Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanosheets as Z-Scheme Heterojunction Photocatalysts for Degradation of Tetracycline

Facet-Engineered Cu₂O Microparticles on Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanosheets as Z-Scheme Heterojunction Photocatalysts for Degradation of Tetracycline

Sonophotocatalytic degradation of sulfamethoxazole using lanthanum ferrite perovskite oxide anchored on an ultrasonically exfoliated porous graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet.

The lanthanum ferrite perovskite (La0.8FO) was synthesized using a citric combustion route and then modified with a porous graphitic nitride nanosheet via the wet impregnation-assisted ultrasonic method to produce La0.8FO@PgNS. Various techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS), and Tauc plot analysis were employed to confirm the functional moieties, crystallinity, phase change, morphology, composition, and bandgap of La.0.8FO and La0.8FO@PgNS. La0.8FO and La0.8FO@PgNS were used for the sonophotocatalytic oxidative degradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) under low energy and ultrasound wave frequency in the presence of visible light. La0.8FO and La0.8FO@PgNS exhibited a sonophotocatalytic degradation capacity of 52.06 and 99.60%, respectively. Furthermore, the rate constant at the optimum condition of pH 7 and 5 mg L-1 concentration was 0.01343 and 0.01494 min-1 for La0.8FO and La0.8FO@PgNS, respectively. The integration of sonolysis and photocatalysis in the remediation process of SMX resulted in a synergy of 2.5-fold. Ultrasonic waves and hydroxyl and superoxide radicals are the main species governing the degradation process while La0.8FO@PgNS was stable over 8 cycles, proving to be a sustainable material for environmental remediation.

Effect of Embedded g-C3N4 Nanosheets on the Hydration and Thermal Response Behavior of Cross-Linked Thermoresponsive Copolymer Films.

The effect of embedded graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets on hydration and thermal response behavior of cross-linked thermoresponsive poly(di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate-co-oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate), abbreviated as P(MA-co-MA300), thin films is probed by white light interferometry. Compared with that of the cross-linked pure P(MA-co-MA300) films, the surface roughness of the cross-linked hybrid films is slightly increased, which is caused by the minor aggregation of g-C3N4 nanosheets during the spin-coating process. After exposure to a water vapor atmosphere, both cross-linked pure and hybrid films can absorb water and swell. However, the introduction of g-C3N4 not only induces a larger hydration extent but also triggers a nonlinear transition behavior upon heating. This prominent difference might be related to the residual hydrophilic groups (-NH2 and N-H) on the surface of g-C3N4 nanosheets, which enhance the interaction and absorption capability for water molecules in the hybrid films. Upon further increasing the amount of embedded g-C3N4 nanosheets in films, more hydrogen bonds are formed and a larger hydration extent of films is observed. To break all of the hydrogen bonds in films, a higher transition temperature (TT) is required. The observed hydration and transition behaviors of hybrid films can be used to design hydrogel-based films for hydrogen evolution or wastewater treatment.

Enhancement of CO2 separation efficiency in mixed matrix membranes through zinc ion modified g‐C3N4 nanosheets

AbstractThis study employed modified graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) nanosheets and polyether block amide (Pebax) to prepare mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) aiming to enhance CO2 separation efficiency. Through sulfonation and zinc ion (Zn2+) modification of g‐C3N4 nanosheets, high Zn2+ loaded nanofillers (SCN‐Zn2+) were synthesized. Compared to g‐C3N4, MMMs with SCN‐Zn2+ as nanofiller showed a CO2 permeance of 462 Barrer as well as the CO2/N2 selectivity of 47.5 at the feed gas pressure of 2 bar, which surpassed the 2008 Robeson upper bound. Additionally, the Pebax/SCN‐Zn2+(30) membrane was subjected to continuous gas permeability experiments for 70 h and showed good stability. The results showed that SCN‐Zn2+ nanosheets played an important role in enhancing the gas selectivity of the membranes. SEM confirmed that the SCN‐Zn2+ nanosheets had good compatibility with the Pebax substrate and the presence of hydrophilic sulfonic acid groups effectively suppressed the interfacial defects. The increase in the free volume fraction of the membranes as well as the solubility and diffusion coefficient suggested that the introduction of g‐C3N4 nanosheets led to more tortuous gas transport paths, which enhanced the permeability and selectivity of CO2.

Preparation of defect-enriched Cu-doped FeOCl/g-C3N4Z-scheme composites for efficient photo-Fenton-like performance

In this study, a Z-scheme heterojunction with abundant oxygen vacancies (OVs) formed by Cu-doped FeOCl (Cu-FeOCl) and graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (CNNS) was successfully synthesized for the removal of tetracycline hydrochloride (TC). The prepared Cu-FeOCl/CNNS had excellent catalytic properties under hydrogen peroxide and light illumination, and the maximum reaction rate was nearly 156 and 48 times higher than that of FeOCl and CNNS, respectively. The enhancement of catalytic performance was due to the synergistic effect of Cu species, Fe species and Ovs, which effectively promoted the adsorption and activation of H2O2, and inhibited the recombination of photogenerated carriers. We further studied the effects of different reaction conditions (catalyst dosage, H2O2 dosage, initial pH, TC concentration, and coexisting substances) on the degradation reaction. 1O2, h+, •O2−, and •OH were active species participating in the reaction, and a possible TC degradation mechanism was studied. This work provided insights into the synergetic action of interface engineering, ion doping, and oxygen defects in the photo-Fenton-like system.