CO oxidation over Cu2O deposited on 2D continuous lamellar g-C3N4

Abstract

Cu₂O deposited on 2D continuous lamellar g-C₃N₄ (Cu₂O/g-C₃N₄) was prepared via a facile impregnation–chemical reduction procedure. The composition, structure and morphology of as-prepared Cu₂O/g-C₃N₄ were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, CO-TPR, FT-IR and nitrogen adsorption, respectively. The influence of Cu₂O loading on the performances of Cu₂O/g-C₃N₄, e.g. adsorption ability for methyl orange (MO) and the stability as well as catalytic activity for CO oxidation, was investigated. The changing trend of adsorption ability and the catalytic activity of Cu₂O/g-C₃N₄ moved in the same direction. When the mass ratio of Cu₂O to g-C₃N₄ was 4 : 10, the as-prepared composite exhibited the strongest adsorption ability and the highest catalytic activity; it also showed excellent stability in CO oxidation and over it the 100% conversion of CO was kept for more than 12 h under reaction conditions. The strong adsorption ability and good catalytic performance of Cu₂O/g-C₃N₄ were ascribed to the synergetic effects between g-C₃N₄ and Cu₂O as well as the improved dispersibility and the decreased particle size of Cu₂O.