Abstract
A novel visible-light-activated photocatalyst consisting of porous graphitic C3N4 nanosheets and Ag3PO4 nanoparticles were synthesized through a tunable in situ deposition method. The morphology and microstructure of the C3N4/Ag3PO4 nanocomposites were carefully characterized by scanning electron microscope, TEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectra, and so on. The porous C3N4/Ag3PO4 nanocomposites were featured by the typical platelet-like morphology, with an average crystallite size of about 39 nm. The coexistence of porous graphitic C3N4 nanosheets and Ag3PO4 nanoparticles is confirmed via the XRD and EDX results. Owing to its narrower band gap of Ag3PO4, the nanocomposites displayed a significant redshift of UV–Vis spectral absorption edge together with expanded light absorption in comparison with g-C3N4 nanosheets. The photocatalytic activity of the prepared C3N4/Ag3PO4 nanocomposites is demonstrated by the photodegradation of 4-chlorophenol (4-CP). The C3N4/Ag3PO4 nanocomposites displayed higher photocatalytic activity than pure C3N4 or Ag3PO4, which could be attributed to the interfacial effect of the nanocomposites in inhibiting the unfavorable recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes. Electron spin resonance spin-trap study implied that the generation of hydroxyl radicals plays the key role in the photodegradation of 4-CP by the C3N4/Ag3PO4 nanocomposites under visible light irradiation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bai XJ, Wang L, Zong RL, Zhu YF (2013) Photocatalytic activity enhanced via g-C3N4 nanoplates to nanorods. J Phys Chem C 117:9952–9961
Banić N, Abramović B, Krstić J, Šojić D, Lončarević D, Cherkezova-Zheleva Z, Guzsvány V (2011) Photodegradation of thiacloprid using Fe/TiO2 as a heterogeneous photo-Fenton catalyst. Appl Catal B 107:363–371
Bi Y, Hu H, Ouyang S, Lu G, Cao J, Ye J (2012) Photocatalytic and photoelectric properties of cubic Ag3PO4 sub-microcrystals with sharp corners and edges. Chem Commun 48:3748–3750
Cui YJ, Zhang JS, Zhang GG, Huang JH, Liu P, Antonietti M, Wang XC (2011) Synthesis of bulk and nanoporous carbon nitride polymers from ammonium thiocyanate for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. J Mater Chem 21:13032–13039
Dong P, Wang Y, Cao B, Xin S, Guo L, Zhang J, Li F (2013) Ag3PO4/reduced graphite oxide sheets nanocomposites with highly enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity and stability. Appl Catal B 132–133:45–53
Ge L et al (2012) Synthesis and efficient visible light photocatalytic hydrogen evolution of polymeric g-C3N4 coupled with CdS quantum dots. J Phys Chem C 116:13708–13714
Hirakawa T, Nosaka Y (2002) Properties of O •−2 and OH• formed in TiO2 aqueous suspensions by photocatalytic reaction and the influence of H2O2 and some ions. Langmuir 18:3247–3254
Hoffmann MR, Martin ST, Choi WY, Bahnemann DW (1995) Environmental applications of semiconductor photocatalysis. Chem Rev 95:69–96
Hou Y, Li X, Zhao Q, Quan X, Chen AG (2010) Electrochemically assisted photocatalytic degradation of 4-chlorophenol by ZnFe2O4-modified TiO2 nanotube array electrode under visible light irradiation. Environ Sci Technol 44:5098–5103
Hou Y, Zuo F, Ma Q, Wang C, Bartels L, Feng PY (2012) Ag3PO4 oxygen evolution photocatalyst employing synergistic action of Ag/AgBr nanoparticles and graphene sheets. J Phys Chem C 116:20132–20139
Hou Y, Wen Z, Cui S, Guo X, Chen J (2013) Constructing 2D porous graphitic C3N4 nanosheets/nitrogen-doped graphene/layered MoS2 ternary nanojunction with enhanced photoelectrochemical activity. Adv Mater 25:6291–6297
Kumar S, Surendar T, Baruah A, Shanker V (2013) Synthesis of a novel and stable g-C3N4–Ag3PO4 hybrid nanocomposite photocatalyst and study of the photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation. J Mater Chem A 1:5333
Li J, Shen B, Hong Z, Lin B, Gao B, Chen Y (2012) A facile approach to synthesize novel oxygen-doped g-C3N4 with superior visible-light photoreactivity. Chem Commun 48:12017–12019
Liu G, Niu P, Sun C, Smith SC, Chen Z, Lu GQ, Cheng H-M (2010) Unique electronic structure induced high photoreactivity of sulfur-doped graphitic C3N4. J Am Chem Soc 132:11642–11648
Mao J, Peng TY, Zhang XH, Li K, Ye LQ, Zan L (2013) Effect of graphitic carbon nitride microstructures on the activity and selectivity of photocatalytic CO2 reduction under visible light. Catal Sci Technol 3:1253–1260
Mattle MJ, Thampi KR (2013) Photocatalytic degradation of Remazol Brilliant Blue® by sol–gel derived carbon-doped TiO2. Appl Catal B 140–141:348–355
Obregón S, Colón G (2014) Improved H2 production of Pt-TiO2/g-C3N4–MnOx composites by an efficient handling of photogenerated charge pairs. Appl Catal B 144:775–782
Teng W, Li X, Zhao Q, Zhao J, Zhang D (2012) In situ capture of active species and oxidation mechanism of RhB and MB dyes over sunlight-driven Ag/Ag3PO4 plasmonic nanocatalyst. Appl Catal B 125:538–545
Teng W, Li X, Zhao Q, Chen G (2013) Fabrication of Ag/Ag3PO4/TiO2 heterostructure photoelectrodes for efficient decomposition of 2-chlorophenol under visible light irradiation. J Mater Chem A 1:9060–9068
Tian J, Li H, Xing Z, Wang L, Asiri AM, Al-Youbi AO, Sun X (2013) Facile synthesis of MWCNTs/Ag3PO4: novel photocatalysts with enhanced photocatalytic activity under visible light. J Nanopart Res 15:1453
Vinu A (2008) Two-dimensional hexagonally-ordered mesoporous carbon nitrides with tunable pore diameter, surface area and nitrogen content. Adv Funct Mater 18:816–827
Wang X et al (2009) A metal-free polymeric photocatalyst for hydrogen production from water under visible light. Nat Mater 8:76–80
Wang YJ, Shi R, Lin J, Zhu YF (2011) Enhancement of photocurrent and photocatalytic activity of ZnO hybridized with graphite-like C3N4. Energy Environ Sci 4:2922–2929
Wang Y, Wang X, Antonietti M (2012) Polymeric graphitic carbon nitride as a heterogeneous organocatalyst: from photochemistry to multipurpose catalysis to sustainable chemistry Angew. Chem Int Ed 51:68–89
Wang XJ, Wang Q, Li FT, Yang WY, Zhao Y, Hao YJ, Liu SJ (2013) Novel BiOCl–C3N4 heterojunction photocatalysts: In situ preparation via an ionic-liquid-assisted solvent-thermal route and their visible-light photocatalytic activities. Chem Eng J 234:361–371
Wang S, Li D, Sun C, Yang S, Guan Y, He H (2014) Synthesis and characterization of g-C3N4/Ag3VO4 composites with significantly enhanced visible-light photocatalytic activity for triphenylmethane dye degradation. Appl Catal B 144:885–892
Xia C et al (2009) The influence of ion effects on the Pd-catalyzed hydrodechlorination of 4-chlorophenol in aqueous solutions. Catal Commun 10:1443–1445
Xie YB, Yuan CW (2003) Visible-light responsive cerium ion modified titania sol and nanocrystallites for X-3B dye photodegradation. Appl Catal B 46:251–259
Xu LJ, Wang JL (2013) Degradation of chlorophenols using a novel FeO/CeO2 composite. Appl Catal B 142–143:396–405
Xu J, Li Y, Peng S, Lu G, Li S (2013) Eosin Y-sensitized graphitic carbon nitride fabricated by heating urea for visible light photocatalytic hydrogen evolution: the effect of the pyrolysis temperature of urea. Phys Chem Chem Phys 15:7657–7665
Xu L et al (2014) Reactable ionic liquid assisted solvothermal synthesis of graphite-like C3N4 hybridized α-Fe2O3 hollow microspheres with enhanced supercapacitive performance. J Power Sources 245:866–874
Yi ZG et al (2010) An orthophosphate semiconductor with photooxidation properties under visible-light irradiation. Nat Mater 9:559–564
Zhang H, Zong R, Zhu Y (2009) Photocorrosion inhibition and photoactivity enhancement for zinc oxide via hybridization with monolayer polyaniline. J Phys Chem C 113:4605–4611
Zhang H, Huang H, Ming H, Li H, Zhang L, Liu Y, Kang Z (2012) Carbon quantum dots/Ag3PO4 complex photocatalysts with enhanced photocatalytic activity and stability under visible light. J Mater Chem 22:10501
Zhu Z, Li X, Zhao Q, Shi Y, Li H, Chen G (2010) Surface photovoltage properties and photocatalytic activities of nanocrystalline CoFe2O4 particles with porous superstructure fabricated by a modified chemical coprecipitation method. J Nanopart Res 13:2147–2155
Acknowledgments
This work was supported financially by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (21377015, 21207015, N_HKUST646/10), the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (973 Program) (No. 2011CB936002), and the Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering, China Ministry of Education.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ren, Y., Zhao, Q., Li, X. et al. 2D Porous graphitic C3N4 nanosheets/Ag3PO4 nanocomposites for enhanced visible-light photocatalytic degradation of 4-chlorophenol. J Nanopart Res 16, 2532 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-014-2532-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-014-2532-x