Photocatalytic Activities of g-C3N4 (CN) Treated with Nitric Acid Vapor for the Degradation of Pollutants in Wastewater

In this article, we reported a novel setup treatment using nitric acid vapor to treat g-C3N4 (CN). By treatment with nitric acid vapour, the basic structure of the CN has not been destroyed. These adoptive treatments enhanced the photocatalytic performance of CN and were reflected in the elimination of rhodamine B (RhB) as well as tetracycline hydrochloride (TC). In comparison to CN, CN-6 demonstrated the highest photocatalytic yield for the breakdown of RhB (99%, in 20 min). Moreover, the excellent reuse of CN-6 for breaking down RhB was also demonstrated. This clearly demonstrated that treatment with nitric acid vapor promoted a blue shift, positively extended its valence band position, and increased the oxidizability of the holes. This also caused CN to disperse better into the aqueous phase, introducing more oxygen-containing functional groups. Thus, treatment with nitric acid vapor has the potential to be applied to delaminate the CN in order to enhance photocatalytic activity.

Automated summary

In this article, a novel setup treatment using nitric acid vapor to treat g-C3N4 (CN) was reported. The basic structure of CN was not destroyed by the treatment. These adoptive treatments enhanced the photocatalytic performance of CN, leading to the elimination of RhB and TC. Among them, CN-6 exhibited the highest photocatalytic yield for the breakdown of RhB (99% in 20 min). The treatment with nitric acid vapor promoted a blue shift, extended the valence band position, increased the oxidizability of the holes, and improved the dispersion of CN in the aqueous phase, introducing more oxygen-containing functional groups. Thus, it has the potential to be applied for enhancing the photocatalytic activity of CN.