Graphitic carbon nitride with S and O codoping for enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance

Abstract

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) shows great possibility to enhance its visible light photocatalytic performance by tuning its electronic structure and band gap via nonmetal element doping. S and O codoped g-C₃N₄ is synthesized by the polymerization of melamine and H₂O₂ bonded trithiocyanuric acid (TCA) at an elevated temperature and characterized as crimped nanosheets with mesoporous structures. The photocatalytic performance of S–O codoped g-C₃N₄ for RhB degradation increases 6 fold by enhancing visible light adsorption and decreasing its band gap compared to pristine g-C₃N₄ nanosheets. The substitution of the edge N with S and O dopant causes much more strongly delocalized HOMO and LUMO and increases the number of reactive sites, facilitating the migration of photogenerated electron/hole pairs.