Journal article

High-Performance Coral Reef-like Carbon Nitrides: Synthesis and Application in Photocatalysis and Heavy Metal Ion Adsorption

JZY Tan, NM Nursam, F Xia, MA Sani, W Li, X Wang, RA Caruso

ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces | AMER CHEMICAL SOC | Published : 2017

Abstract

Synthesis of carbon nitrides (CNx) by refluxing under nitrogen exhibited mixed growth mechanisms of oriented attachment and Ostwald ripening, leading to the formation of coral reef-like microstructures from spherical agglomerates. Some phase transformation from β-phase to α-phase CNx occurred upon refluxing for 1.5 h, producing a biphasic CNx. The N content relative to C was determined from CHN elemental analysis, and the presence of C=N and terminal groups (i.e., COOH and NH2) was consistent with the Fourier transform infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic results. The sample refluxed for 2.0 h (CNx/2.0 h) had the highest surface area of 24.5 m2·g-1 and ..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Funding Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the CSIRO Office of the Chief Executive Science Leader and Postdoctoral Fellow schemes. In situ PXRD was conducted at the Australian Synchrotron, Victoria, Australia. Room-temperature PXRD analysis was conducted by Dr. Aaron Seeber at CSIRO Manufacturing. The Melbourne Advanced Microscopy Facility at The University at Melbourne (UoM) is acknowledged for access to SEM and TEM. J.Z.Y.T. acknowledges UoM for a Melbourne International Fee Remission Scholarship and Melbourne International Research Scholarship.