Construction of Cyano-modified Ultrathin Graphitic Carbon Nitride for Boosted Photocatalytic Degradation of High Concentration Tetracycline
Abstract
Photocatalytic degradation of tetracycline has received widespread attention as a green wastewater treatment technology. However, the current degradation efficiency is still limited by the insufficient oxidation ability and high recombination efficiency of photo-generated carriers. In this research, cyano-modified ultrathin graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is synthesized by a facile salt-assisted heat treatment method. As a result, it displays a satisfactory photo-degradation efficiency of 98.96% in 60 min, particularly for the high concentration tetracycline of 100 mg L-1. The underlying causes lie in the cyano groups, which act as electron trapping groups, effectively suppress the recombination of charge carriers. Meanwhile, the ultrathin nanosheet structure of g-C3N4 validly augments the active sites on the surface, as well as shortens the carriers migrating route. The synergistic effect of the above optimizes the carrier migration kinetics of g-C3N4, thus achieving superior photocatalytic degradation performance. This study paves the way for the extensive application of g-C3N4 in photocatalytic wastewater treatment technology and offers promising prospects for its future development.