Preparation of Cl-Doped g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> Photocatalyst and Its Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B

Preparation of Cl-Doped g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> Photocatalyst and Its Photocatalytic Degradation of Rhodamine B

The increasing global demand for clean water is driving the development of advanced wastewater treatment technologies. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>) has emerged as an efficient photocatalyst for degrading organic pollutants, such as synthetic dyes, d...

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Main Authors: Jing Zhang, Lixia Wang, Yang Li, Yuhong Huang, Renbin Song, Chen Cheng, Qian Luo, Ruiqi Zhai, Yijie Meng, Peixin Zhang, Qiang Ma, Yingjie Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Molecules
Subjects:
graphitic phase carbon nitride
Rhodamine B
photocatalysis
Cl-doped photocatalyst
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/30/9/1910
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Summary:The increasing global demand for clean water is driving the development of advanced wastewater treatment technologies. Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub>) has emerged as an efficient photocatalyst for degrading organic pollutants, such as synthetic dyes, due to its exceptional thermo-chemical stability. However, its application is limited by an insufficient specific surface area, low photocatalytic efficiency, and an unclear degradation mechanism. In this study, we aimed to enhance g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> by doping it with elemental chlorine, resulting in a series of Cl-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> photocatalysts with varying doping ratios, prepared via thermal polymerization. The photocatalytic activity of g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> was assessed by measuring the degradation rate of RhB. A comprehensive characterization of the Cl-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> composites was conducted using SEM, XRD, XPS, PL, DRS, BET, EPR, and electrochemical measurements. Our results indicated that the optimized 1:2 Cl-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> photocatalyst exhibited exceptional performance, achieving 99.93% RhB removal within 80 min of irradiation. TOC mineralization reached 91.73% after 150 min, and 88.12% removal of antibiotics was maintained after four cycles, demonstrating the excellent stability of the 1:2 Cl-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> photocatalyst. Mechanistic investigations revealed that superoxide radicals (·O<sub>2</sub><sup>−</sup>) and singlet oxygen (<sup>1</sup>O<sub>2</sub>) were the primary reactive oxygen species responsible for the degradation of RhB in the chlorine-doped g-C<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> photocatalytic system.
ISSN:1420-3049

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