Highly mesoporous g-C3N4 with uniform pore size distribution via the template-free method to enhanced solar-driven tetracycline degradation
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-1-2021
Abstract
A highly mesoporous graphitic carbon nitride g-C3N4 (GCN) has been produced by a template-free method and effectively photodegrade tetracycline (TC) antibiotic under solar light irradiation. The mesoporous GCN (GCN-500) greatly improves the photoactivity (0.0247 min(-1)) by 2.13 times, as compared to that of bulk GCN (0.0116 min(-1)). The efficiently strengthened photoactivity is ascribed to the high porosity (117.05 m(2)/g), and improves the optical absorption under visible light (E-g = 2.65 eV) and good charge carrier separation efficiency. The synthesized mesoporous GCN shows a uniform pore size (similar to 3 nm) distribution. GCN-500 shows large pore volume (0.210 cm(3)/g) compared to GCN-B (0.083 cm(3)/g). Besides, the GCN-500 also exhibits good recyclability and photostability for TC photodegradation. In conclusion, GCN-500 is a recyclable photocatalyst for the removal of TC under visible light irradiation.
Keywords
Tetracycline, Mesoporous, Graphitic carbon nitride, Pore size, Photocatalyst, G-C3N4
Divisions
nanotechnology
Funders
Universiti Malaya (PPSI-2020-CLUSTER-IDIG03)
Publication Title
Nanomaterials
Volume
11
Issue
8
Publisher
MDPI
Publisher Location
ST ALBAN-ANLAGE 66, CH-4052 BASEL, SWITZERLAND