Large scale production of novel g-C sub(3)N sub(4) micro strings with high surface area and versatile photodegradation ability

• Published in: CrystEngComm 2014-02, Vol.16 (9), p.1825-1830
• Main Authors: Tahir, Muhammad, Cao, Chuanbao, Butt, Faheem K, Butt, Sajid, Idrees, Faryal, Ali, Zulfiqar, Aslam, Imran, Tanveer, M, Mahmood, Asif, Mahmood, Nasir
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Melamine; Morphology; Photodegradation; Rate constants; Solvents; Strings; Surface area; Titanium dioxide
• ISSN: 1466-8033
• DOI: 10.1039/c3ce42135j

An easy, scalable and environmentally benign chemical method has been developed to synthesize micro strings of graphitic-C sub(3)N sub(4) (msg-C sub(3)N sub(4)) through pre-treatment of melamine with HNO sub(3) in alkaline solvent at low temperature. This methodology results in a unique string type morphology of msg-C sub(3)N sub(4) with higher surface area. These msg-C sub(3)N sub(4) micro strings were used as a photocatalyst under visible light for photodegradation of rhodamine B, methyl blue and methyl orange. The msg-C sub(3)N sub(4) shows enhanced photodegradation efficiency due to its high surface area and favourable bandgap. The first order rate constant for msg-C sub(3)N sub(4) was measured which confirms the higher performance of msg-C sub(3)N sub(4) in comparison to other reported materials such as g-C sub(3)N sub(4), Fe sub(2)O sub(3)/g-C sub(3 )N sub(4) and TiO sub(2) nanotubes. Thus, the method developed here is favourable for the synthesis of materials with higher surface area and unique morphology, which are favourable for high photodegradation activity.