Organic dye-reformed construction of porous-defect g-C3N4 nanosheet for improved visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity

Abstract Porous graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheet with controllable defect can provide high specific surface area, abundant active sites, improved charge separation and transport efficiency and optimized the photo-redox ability, which is considered as an attractive metal-free photocatalyst. However, purposeful design and construction of the porous-defective g-C3N4 nanosheets is still a challenge. Herein, we intentionally fabricated a unique organic dye-reformed melamine precursor towards the universal preparation of targeted porous-defect modified g-C3N4 nanosheets for improved visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity. As expected, the as-prepared g-C3N4 products synthesized from seven organic dyes (such as 4-nitrophenol, Rhodamine B, Rhodamine 6G, methyl orange, methylene blue, crystal violet and malachite green)-reformed melamine precursors can integrate the advantages of porous structure and defect simultaneously to obtain higher visible-light-driven photocatalytic degradation activities towards Rhodamine B dye solution. Undoubtedly, this organic dye-reformed melamine strategy for the synthesis of high-active g-C3N4 is universal and novel, which opens a new pathway for developing the efficient, economic and environmental-friendly photocatalysts.