Journal article

Publication year: 2023

Journal: Nanomaterials

Volume number: 13

Issue number: 4

eISSN: 2079-4991

Open access status: Gold

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13040762

Publisher: MDPI

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 degrees 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 degrees 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.

Harvard Citation style: Sewnet, A., Alemayehu, E., Abebe, M., Mani, D., Thomas, S., Kalarikkal, N., et al. (2023) Single-Step Synthesis of Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanomaterials by Directly Calcining the Mixture of Urea and Thiourea: Application for Rhodamine B (RhB) Dye Degradation, Nanomaterials, 13(4), Article 762. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13040762

APA Citation style: Sewnet, A., Alemayehu, E., Abebe, M., Mani, D., Thomas, S., Kalarikkal, N., & Lennartz, B. (2023). Single-Step Synthesis of Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanomaterials by Directly Calcining the Mixture of Urea and Thiourea: Application for Rhodamine B (RhB) Dye Degradation. Nanomaterials. 13(4), Article 762. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13040762