Abstract:
Recently, polymeric graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4
) has been explored as a potential
catalytic material for the removal of organic pollutants in wastewater. In this work, graphitic carbon
nitride (g-C3N4
) photocatalysts were synthesized using mixtures of low-cost, environment-friendly
urea and thiourea as precursors by varying calcination temperatures ranging from 500 to 650 ◦C
for 3 h in an air medium. Different analytical methods were used to characterize prepared g-C3N4
samples. The effects of different calcination temperatures on the structural, morphological, optical,
and physiochemical properties of g-C3N4 photocatalysts were investigated. The results showed
that rhodamine B (RhB) dye removal efficiency of g-C3N4 prepared at a calcination temperature
of 600 ◦C exhibited 94.83% within 180 min visible LED light irradiation. Photocatalytic activity of
g-C3N4 was enhanced by calcination at higher temperatures, possibly by increasing crystallinity that
ameliorated the separation of photoinduced charge carriers. Thus, controlling the type of precursors
and calcination temperatures has a great impact on the photocatalytic performance of g-C3N4
towards
the photodegradation of RhB dye. This investigation provides useful information about the synthesis
of novel polymeric g-C3N4 photocatalysts using a mixture of two different environmentally benign
precursors at high calcination temperatures for the photodegradation of organic pollutants.
