Easily and Synchronously Ameliorating Charge Separation and Band Energy Level in Porous g-C3N4 for Boosting Photooxidation and Photoreduction Ability

Metal-free graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) shows benign photocatalytic abilities concerning contaminant decomposition and hydrogen evolution under visible light irradiation. Developing facile modification tactics for promoted activity of g-C3N4 has always been desirable and worth pursuing. Herein, we report the integration of multiple (three-in-one) advantageous effects in g-C3N4 photocatalyst by a simple co-pyrolyzation of co-precursors melamine and NH4HCO3. This strategy utilizing Na4HCO3 as a bubble soft template not only endows g-C3N4 with porous structure with enhanced specific surface area, but also renders highly promoted separation and transfer of charge carriers and up-shifted conduction band. Given these benefits, the modified g-C3N4 unfolds remarkably improved photocatalytic performance toward RhB degradation, NO removal, and hydrogen evolution. Additionally, the exploration on active radicals has also corroborated the ameliorated band structure and illustrates the photocatalytic mechanism. Our present work may open up a new avenue for ameliorating the photocatalytic property of g-C3N4 and also further our understanding of design of high-performance photoelectric materials.