Influence of Air and Nitrogen Atmosphere on g-C3N4 Synthesized from Urea

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Published: Jun 26, 2022
Keywords:
Visible light Photocatalysis g-C3N4 Ambient air Nitrogen atmosphere

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Atita Tapo
Department of Materials science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
Pornapa Sujaridworakun
Department of Materials science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, 10330, Thailand
Wasana Khongwong
Expert Centre of Innovative Materials, Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
Piyalak Ngernchuklin
Expert Centre of Innovative Materials, Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
Chumphol Busabok
Expert Centre of Innovative Materials, Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand

Abstract

This work attempted to develop g-C3N4 synthesized from urea using for photocatalysis application under visible light. The effects of the heat treatment parameters such as reaction temperatures (450, 500, 550, and 600oC) and controlled atmospherics during synthesis (ambient air and nitrogen) were studied. Urea powders were placed in an alumina boat crucible and put in a tube furnace and then heated up from ambient temperature to 250oC with a heating rate of 10oC/min for 10 min soaking. After that, the temperature was decreased to 220oC and soaked for 10 min followed by increasing the temperature to 450oC-600oC with 2oC/min and soaked for 30 min in ambient air or nitrogen atmosphere. The synthesized powders were characterized for morphology by SEM, phase analysis by XRD, and light absorption by UV-VIS-NIR spectrometer. The photocatalytic properties of synthesized g-C3N4 in ambient air or nitrogen atmosphere were investigated via the degradation of methylene blue under visible light irradiation (more than 450 nm wavelength generated from 50W LED lamp). The yield of products synthesized in the N2 atmosphere was higher than in the ambient air due to less decomposition of urea compared to the ambient air. The band gap energy of g-C3N4 synthesized in N2 was narrower than that synthesized in the ambient air resulting in a wider wavelength absorbed. Moreover, the increasing temperatures lead to reducing of band gap energy of g-C3N4 in the N2 atmosphere.

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1.
Tapo A, Sujaridworakun P, Khongwong W, Ngernchuklin P, Busabok C. Influence of Air and Nitrogen Atmosphere on g-C3N4 Synthesized from Urea. Thai J. Nanosci. Nanotechnol. [Internet]. 2022 Jun. 26 [cited 2024 Dec. 27];7(1):1-11. Available from: https://ph05.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/TJNN/article/view/77
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Vol. 7 No. 1 (2022): TJNN
Section
Research Articles
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