Issue 34, 2018

g-C3N4/MgO nanosheets: light-independent, metal-poisoning-free catalysts for the activation of hydrogen peroxide to degrade organics

Abstract

The huge amount of organic wastewater produced by dye manufacturing/consuming industries causes serious environmental pollution, which urges researchers to explore highly efficient and cost-effective Fenton-like catalysts. Herein, we report the synthesis of g-C3N4/MgO nanosheets through a simple two-step calcination method, exhibiting the excellent catalytic ability of activating hydrogen peroxide to degrade organic dyes in the dark. The results of this study indicate that the g-C3N4/MgO nanosheets are light-independent and metal-poisoning-free Fenton-like catalysts for enhanced degradation of organics. The efficient degradation performance is attributed to hydroxyl radical generation in the g-C3N4/MgO–H2O2 catalytic system. The bonding between the MgO and g-C3N4 parts of the g-C3N4/MgO nanosheets is considered to be a key role in activating H2O2 to produce a hydroxyl radical. This catalytic degradation process can be conducted in a wide pH range and at room temperature without external energy input. Additionally, the g-C3N4/MgO nanosheets are non-toxic, low-cost and easy to prepare. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that g-C3N4/MgO nanosheets have a great potential in the catalytic degradation of organic contaminants and could be used in a wide range of environmental cleanup applications. Furthermore, this work provides an insight into exploiting novel Fenton-like catalysts without transition metal components or external energy excitation.

Graphical abstract: g-C3N4/MgO nanosheets: light-independent, metal-poisoning-free catalysts for the activation of hydrogen peroxide to degrade organics

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
09 Jun 2018
Accepted
30 Jul 2018
First published
30 Jul 2018

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2018,6, 16421-16429

g-C3N4/MgO nanosheets: light-independent, metal-poisoning-free catalysts for the activation of hydrogen peroxide to degrade organics

L. Ge, Z. Peng, W. Wang, F. Tan, X. Wang, B. Su, X. Qiao and P. K. Wong, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2018, 6, 16421 DOI: 10.1039/C8TA05488F

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