Modified g-C3N4 derived from ionic liquid and urea for promoting visible-light photodegradation of organic pollutants

Abstract In this work, modified g-C3N4 was fabricated successfully by calcination of ionic liquid (IL) and urea. The addition of IL changed the polymerization mode of urea, induced the self-assembly of urea molecules, modified the morphological structure of the tightly packed g-C3N4, and extended the electron conjugation system. When using 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim]Cl) as a modifier, the heteroatom Cl could be inserted into the g-C3N4 to optimize the electronic structure. The results of characterizations indicate that the unique structure of modified g-C3N4 has an expanded electron delocalization range, introduces an interlayer charge transmission channel, promotes the charge transmission, reduces the band gap, enhances the absorption of visible light, and inhibits electron-hole recombination. Modified g-C3N4 showed excellent photocatalytic performance for the degradation of rhodamine B and tetracycline. Furthermore, the effect of different anions in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium salts ([Bmim]Cl, [Bmim]Br, [Bmim][BF4], and [Bmim][PF6]) on the structure and function of g-C3N4 are discussed.