Journal article
Photocatalytic Carbon Nitride Materials with Nanoscale Features Synthesized from the Rapid and Low-Temperature Decomposition of Trichloromelamine
ACS applied nano materials, Vol.1(10), pp.5944-5956
10/26/2018
DOI: 10.1021/acsanm.8b01670
Abstract
Polymeric carbon nitride (C3N4) materials have attracted broad interest in many photocatalytic reactions. This work describes the structural and photocatalytic properties of carbon nitrides from the rapid exothermic decomposition of a trichloromelamine (TCM) precursor at temperatures as low as 180 °C. The use of different reaction conditions produced orange aggregates with nanoplate or sheet-like morphologies. The carbon nitride compositions and physical properties are comparable to carbon nitrides grown from commonly used melamine (MA) and dicyandiamide (DCDA) precursors. Elemental analysis yields compositions fitting C3N4+xH y (0.2 < x < 0.6 and 1.8 < y < 1.9) and XRD, IR, NMR, and XPS analysis are consistent with cross-linked polymeric heptazine (C6N7)-based carbon nitride network structures with bulk compositions near C3N4. The darker product color is consistent with smaller band gaps for TCM-derived polymeric carbon nitrides compared to MA- or DCDA-derived analogues (∼2.4 vs 2.6 eV). A comparison of carbon nitrides was made for the oxidative photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange dye under both UV and filtered visible light illumination. TCM-derived carbon nitride is capable of degrading over 70% of the dye in 2 h of UV illumination and ∼50% in 2.5 h of visible light illumination. UV photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reactions were also performed after photodeposition of Pt, Pd, or Ag nanoparticle cocatalysts onto the carbon nitride surface. Quantitative elemental analysis showed actual metal deposition amounts were consistently lower than ideal 1 wt % solution concentrations. The photocatalytic production of hydrogen using several carbon nitrides was monitored and quantified in real-time using portable mass spectrometry. TCM-derived carbon nitride with a Pt cocatalyst achieved hydrogen evolution rates as high as 260 μmol h–1 g–1. The amount of photodeposited metal, carbon nitride surface area, and the network’s structural ordering all appear to impact UV photocatalytic H2 evolution production.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Photocatalytic Carbon Nitride Materials with Nanoscale Features Synthesized from the Rapid and Low-Temperature Decomposition of Trichloromelamine
- Creators
- Anthony T MontoyaEdward G Gillan
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- ACS applied nano materials, Vol.1(10), pp.5944-5956
- Publisher
- American Chemical Society
- DOI
- 10.1021/acsanm.8b01670
- ISSN
- 2574-0970
- eISSN
- 2574-0970
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000165, name: Division of Chemistry, award: CHE-0957555; DOI: 10.13039/100005251, name: Office of Postsecondary Education, award: P200A150065; DOI: 10.13039/100006770, name: American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund, award: 54110-ND10
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 10/26/2018
- Academic Unit
- Chemistry
- Record Identifier
- 9983985986602771
Metrics
15 Record Views