Isotypic heterojunction based on Fe-doped and terephthalaldehyde-modified carbon nitride for improving photocatalytic degradation with simultaneous hydrogen production

To achieve an efficient photocatalytic for clean energy production and environmental remediation, the highly active Fe-doped and terephthalaldehyde-modified carbon nitride (Fe-CN/NTE) isotypic heterojunction photocatalyst is constructed via a simple annealing method for degradation of organic pollutants with simultaneous resource recovery. The Fe-CN/NTE catalyst exhibits a 93% removal rate of p-nitrophenol (4-NP) and a 1.72 mmol/g H-2 evolution rate in 2 h simultaneously under visible light irradiation, which are higher than those of pristine CN, Fe-CN, and NTE, respectively. Photo-electrochemical tests show that the excellent photocatalytic performance of Fe-CN/NTE comes from the improved migration, transportation, and separation of photoinduced charge carriers and expanded light-harvesting range. Moreover, hydroxyl radical ((OH)-O-center dot), electron (e(-)), and hole (h(+)) are the main active species and the rational mechanism of 4-NP photodegradation was proposed based on scavenger measurements and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), respectively. Isotypic heterojunction Fe-CN/NTE photocatalyst possesses excellent stability in the H-2 evolution and 4-NP degradation during five-run cycle tests, posing as a promising candidate in practical works for organic pollution and energy challenges. (C) 2021 Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The Fe-doped and terephthalaldehyde-modified carbon nitride (Fe-CN/NTE) isotypic heterojunction photocatalyst demonstrates superior photocatalytic performance in degrading organic pollutants and producing clean energy. The catalyst shows enhanced migration, transportation, and separation of photoinduced charge carriers, leading to improved removal rates of pollutants and hydrogen evolution efficiency under visible light irradiation.