Enhancing visible light photocatalytic activity of nitrogen-deficient g-C3N4 via thermal polymerization of acetic acid-treated melamine.

Nitrogen-deficient graphitic carbon nitride (CN-HAc) was synthesized by thermal condensation of acetic acid-treated melamine as a precursor. The nitrogen vacancies play a remarkable role on controlling the electronic structure of g-C3N4, such as extending the optical absorption and enhancing the separation efficiency of photogenerated charge carriers, resulting in the improvement of photocatalytic activity. The photocatalytic activity of the catalysts was evaluated by splitting water and degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light irradiation (λ>420nm). The average H2 evolution rate on CN-HAc is 24μmolh-1, which is about 5 times of that on pristine g-C3N4. Meanwhile, CN-HAc exhibits superior photocatalytic mineralization of RhB. The possible formation mechanism of nitrogen-deficient in the framework of g-C3N4 is proposed.