Acta Phys. -Chim. Sin. ›› 2014, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (9): 1706-1712.doi: 10.3866/PKU.WHXB201406272

• CATALYSIS AND SURFACE SCIENCE • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Preparation of Fe-Doped Graphitic Carbon Nitride with Enhanced Visible-Light Photocatalytic Activity

JIN Rui-Rui, YOU Ji-Guang, ZHANG Qian, LIU Dan, HU Shao-Zheng, GUI Jian-Zhou   

  1. Division of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Environment, Liaoning Shihua University, Fushun 113001, Liaoning Province, P. R. China
  • Received:2014-05-08 Revised:2014-06-26 Published:2014-08-29
  • Contact: HU Shao-Zheng, GUI Jian-Zhou E-mail:hushaozheng001@163.com;jzgui@hotmail.com
  • Supported by:

    The project was supported by the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University, China (NCET-11-1011), National Natural Science Foundation of China (21103077), and Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province, China (201202123).

Abstract:

A series of Fe-doped graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) photocatalysts were prepared using ferric nitrate and melamine as precursors. X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Fouriertransform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), photoluminescence (PL) spectrum, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to identify changes in the characteristics caused by coordination of N atoms in the structural units of g-C3N4. The results indicate that embedded Fe3+ changed the optical properties, affected the energy band structure, and increased the electron/hole separation rate. The activities of the Fe3+-doped g-C3N4 catalysts were tested in the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under visible light. The degradation rate of RhB over Fe3+-doped g-C3N4 was 99.7% in 120 min. The rate constant for Fe3+-doped g-C3N4 was 3.2 times as high as that of pure g-C3N4. Disodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate, tert-butyl alcohol, and 1,4-benzoquinone were used as hole (hVB+), hydroxyl radical (·OH), and superoxide radical (O2) scavengers, respectively, to investigate the possible mechanism.

Key words: Graphitic carbon nitride, Photocatalysis, Visible light, RhB degrdatiaon, Fe doping