Acid treated crystalline graphitic carbon nitride with improved efficiency in photocatalytic ethanol oxidation under visible light

In this work, samples of crystalline graphitic carbon nitride (CGCN) were synthesized by thermal treatment of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) in a LiCl/KCl melt, followed by activation by aqueous lactic acid. The structures of synthesized materials were investigated by UV–visible, IR spectroscopy, XRD, SEM, XPS, EDX and CHN analysis. It was found that the photocatalytic activity of the synthesized acid treated crystalline graphitic carbon nitride (AT-CGCN) under visible light irradiation in the ethanol oxidation has twice the activity of untreated CGCN, and almost two orders of magnitude as high as the activity of the bulk g-C3N4. The synthesized photocatalysts show excellent catalytic performance, stable, do not contain toxic and expensive elements, and can be used for the development of catalysis approaches for fine organic synthesis, as well as for water and air purification.