Self-modification of g-C3N4 with its quantum dots for enhanced photocatalytic activity

The photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4 was restricted by the fast charge recombination of photo-generated electrons and holes. In this work, a g-C3N4 metal-free composite modified with g-C3N4 quantum dots (CNQDs) (CNQDs/CN) was successfully prepared by a simple solvothermal method aiming to greatly p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCatalysis science & technology Vol. 8; no. 10; pp. 2617 - 2623
Main Authors Zhou, Liang, Tian, Yunhao, Lei, Juying, Wang, Lingzhi, Liu, Yongdi, Zhang, Jinlong
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cambridge Royal Society of Chemistry 01.01.2018
Subjects
Carbon nitride
Catalytic activity
Charge transfer
Current carriers
Design modifications
Electron recombination
Photocatalysis
Photodegradation
Pollutants
Quantum dots
Rhodamine
Separation
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Summary:The photocatalytic activity of g-C3N4 was restricted by the fast charge recombination of photo-generated electrons and holes. In this work, a g-C3N4 metal-free composite modified with g-C3N4 quantum dots (CNQDs) (CNQDs/CN) was successfully prepared by a simple solvothermal method aiming to greatly promote the charge separation rate. The CNQDs/CN composite was confirmed by HRTEM and XPS measurements and exhibited outstanding photocatalytic activity in the degradation of organic pollutants represented by Rhodamine B. The enhanced photocatalytic performance of the CNQDs/CN composite can be ascribed to the effective charge separation and transfer across the interfaces between g-C3N4 and CNQDs, which benefits from the excellent photoelectrochemical properties as well as the prolonged lifetime of charge carriers. The self-modification strategy provides a rational and interesting design idea to fabricate highly efficient photocatalysts.
ISSN:2044-4753
2044-4761
DOI:10.1039/c8cy00351c