Se-directed synthesis of polymeric carbon nitride with potential applications in heavy metal-containing industrial sewage treatment

By calcining melamine at 500 degrees C with selenium powder as the structure director, polymeric carbon nitride could be prepared with enhanced specific surface area and mesoporous volume. Compared with the material fabricated without Se, this cost-effective Se-incorporated PCN (PCN-Se) could adsorb heavy metals (such as Ni, Cu and Pb) much more efficiently. Materials characterizations such as SEM, TEM and XPS demonstrated that the enlarged specific surface area and total mesoporous volume as well as the interaction of the incorporated Se with the metals via coordination should be the promoting factors for the advanced performances of the novel materials.