Anchoring of silver nanoparticles on graphitic carbon nitride sheets for the synergistic catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol.

In this paper, a facile process was developed for anchoring of silver nanoparticles on graphitic carbon nitride sheets (Ag/g-C3N4) with high catalytic activity for reduction of 4-nitrophenol. The morphology and structure of the as-prepared Ag/g-C3N4 composite were investigated by FESEM, TEM, XRD and XPS. The reaction mechanism and the reduction kinetics of 4-nitrophenol under different light irradiation were systematically studied. The results showed that the obtained Ag/g-C3N4 composite exhibited a much higher electro/photo catalytic activity and stability for reduction of 4-nitrophenol. Significantly, due to the synergistic effect and interaction between highly dispersed Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs, ∼7.2 nm) and lamellar g-C3N4, not only transfer of interfacial charge, but also the separation of photoinduced electrons occurred when the reaction was proceeded under light. In addition, the composite exhibited high stability and reusability during the cycling experiments. The results showed that the Ag/g-C3N4 composite is an effective and stable electro/photo catalyst for reduction of 4-nitrophenol.