Controllable Acid Activation of Sulfur-Doped Carbon Nitride Enables Enhancement in Photocatalytic Indigo Carmine Degradation Performance

• Published in: ACS sustainable chemistry & engineering Vol. 12; no. 45; pp. 16809 - 16816
• Main Authors: Benedoue, Serge Arnold, Ndi, Julius Nsami, Ge, Min, Tian, Zhihong, Dantio Nguela, Christian Brice, Tong, Haijian, Lo Presti, Anna, Antonietti, Markus, Ngomo, Horace Manga, Pelicano, Christian Mark
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Chemical Society 11.11.2024
• Subjects: photocatalysis degradation; indigo carmine; wastewater remediation; graphitic carbon nitride; defects
• ISSN: 2168-0485; 2168-0485
• DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.4c08021

Herein, we introduce a controllable acid activation method of sulfur-doped carbon nitride (CNT) to enhance its photodegradation efficiency for indigo carmine. We establish that the surface functionalization of sulfur-doped carbon nitride using a diluted H2SO4/H2O2 aqueous solution treatment extends visible light absorption, promotes charge separation, and enables improvement in photocatalytic activity. More specifically, the optimal sample (E1-CNT) exhibits a remarkable indigo carmine degradation performance of 96.27% (at 25 ppm) within 40 min under UV light irradiation, comparable to the top-performing photocatalysts reported in the literature. The apparent first-order rate constants of E1-CNT are 2× and 3.6× higher than those of unmodified CNT and bulk CN from melamine, respectively. This work provides new insights into designing simple, affordable, highly active, and metal-free materials toward sustainable environmental remediation.