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Targeted Exfoliation and Reassembly of Polymeric Carbon Nitride for Efficient Photocatalysis
Author(s) -
Li Yunxiang,
Ouyang Shuxin,
Xu Hua,
Hou Weishu,
Zhao Ming,
Chen Huayu,
Ye Jinhua
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201901024
Subject(s) - materials science , photocatalysis , exfoliation joint , quantum yield , yield (engineering) , degradation (telecommunications) , carbon nitride , acetone , chemical engineering , carbon fibers , molecule , nitride , nanotechnology , photochemistry , catalysis , organic chemistry , composite material , graphene , chemistry , layer (electronics) , telecommunications , physics , quantum mechanics , composite number , computer science , engineering , fluorescence
Switching the properties of photocatalytic materials targetedly and exerting these advantages fully in different photoredox reactions are crucial for the sufficient utilization of solar energy but still presents a significant challenge. This study presents a facile, green, and reversible exfoliation–reassembly strategy to switch the features of polymeric carbon nitride (CN) favorably for different photoredox reactions. The giant expansion effect of in situ‐generated H 2 O molecules confined to the interlayer results in the mass production of ultrathin polymeric CN nanosheets, giving a high yield, i.e., up to 48%, of ultrathin nanosheets in a mild solution (pH ≈1.3). Interestingly, the exfoliation–reassembly process as well as the properties of CN are largely reversible via alternating the interlayer groups. Moreover, the exfoliated and reassembled CN achieve a superior photocatalytic activity for isopropanol degradation (acetone: 345 µmol h −1 ; CO 2 : 23 µmol h −1 ) and H 2 evolution (1370 µmol h −1 ), resulting in a high apparent quantum yield of 27% and 46%, respectively, at ≈420 nm.