Cyano-rich porous carbon nitride nanosheets for enhanced photocatalytic H2O2 production

The gas template method is used to introduce the cyano (-C---N) group and porous thin-layer structure into g-C3N4 simultaneously. The resulting material exhibits a synergistic effect between the-C---N group and porous thin-layer structure, which broadens the optical absorption range of g-C3N4 and enhances electron transfer and transformation. The rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE) experiments demonstrate that cyano-rich porous ul-trathin carbon nitride significantly improves the selectivity of 2e- oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), with the selectivity of 93% compared to the 66% of the original carbon nitride at a potential of 0.3 V versus RHE. Additionally, the H2O2 yield for the modified carbon nitride is twice than that of the original carbon nitride material (99.11 & mu;M vs 49.79 & mu;M). The mechanism for photocatalytic H2O2 production involves a two-step one -electron reaction. The modified catalyst is recyclable and can be used for an extended period of time. Overall, this study provides a viable method for modifying g-C3N4 to improve its photocatalytic activity and selectivity towards the 2e- ORR.

Automated summary

The gas template method introduces the cyano (-C---N) group and porous thin-layer structure into g-C3N4 simultaneously. The resulting material exhibits a synergistic effect, broadening the optical absorption range and enhancing electron transfer. The modified carbon nitride improves the selectivity of 2e- oxygen reduction reaction and increases the H2O2 yield compared to the original material. This study provides a viable method for enhancing the photocatalytic activity and selectivity of g-C3N4.