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Dharmarajan NP, Vidyasagar D, Yang JH, Talapaneni SN, Lee J, Ramadass K, Singh G, Fawaz M, Kumar P, Vinu A. Bio-Inspired Supramolecular Self-Assembled Carbon Nitride Nanostructures for Photocatalytic Water Splitting. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2306895. [PMID: 37699553 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202306895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Fast production of hydrogen and oxygen in large amounts at an economic rate is the need of the hour to cater to the needs of the most awaited hydrogen energy, a futuristic renewable energy solution. Production of hydrogen through simple water splitting via visible light photocatalytic approach using sunlight is considered as one of the most promising and sustainable approaches for generating clean fuels. For this purpose, a variety of catalytic techniques and novel catalysts have been investigated. Among these catalysts, carbon nitride is presently deemed as one of the best candidates for the visible light photocatalysis due to its unique molecular structure and adequate visible-range bandgap. Its bandgap can be further engineered by structural and morphological manipulation or by doping/hybridization. Among numerous synthetic approaches for carbon nitrides, supramolecular self-assembly is one of the recently developed elegant bottom-up strategies as it is bio-inspired and provides a facile and eco-friendly route to synthesize high surface area carbon nitride with superior morphological features and other semiconducting and catalytic properties. The current review article broadly covers supramolecular self-assembly synthesis of carbon nitride nanostructures and their photocatalytic water-splitting applications and provides a comprehensive outlook on future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nithinraj Panangattu Dharmarajan
- Global Innovative Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Devthade Vidyasagar
- Material Science & Engineering Department, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, 41566, South Korea
| | - Jae-Hun Yang
- Global Innovative Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | | | - Jangmee Lee
- Global Innovative Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Kavitha Ramadass
- Global Innovative Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Gurwinder Singh
- Global Innovative Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Mohammed Fawaz
- Global Innovative Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Prashant Kumar
- Global Innovative Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Ajayan Vinu
- Global Innovative Centre for Advanced Nanomaterials, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, 2308, Australia
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Kalantari Bolaghi Z, Rodriguez-Seco C, Yurtsever A, Ma D. Exploring the Remarkably High Photocatalytic Efficiency of Ultra-Thin Porous Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanosheets. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 14:103. [PMID: 38202558 PMCID: PMC10781176 DOI: 10.3390/nano14010103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is a metal-free photocatalyst used for visible-driven hydrogen production, CO2 reduction, and organic pollutant degradation. In addition to the most attractive feature of visible photoactivity, its other benefits include thermal and photochemical stability, cost-effectiveness, and simple and easy-scale-up synthesis. However, its performance is still limited due to its low absorption at longer wavelengths in the visible range, and high charge recombination. In addition, the exfoliated nanosheets easily aggregate, causing the reduction in specific surface area, and thus its photoactivity. Herein, we propose the use of ultra-thin porous g-C3N4 nanosheets to overcome these limitations and improve its photocatalytic performance. Through the optimization of a novel multi-step synthetic protocol, based on an initial thermal treatment, the use of nitric acid (HNO3), and an ultrasonication step, we were able to obtain very thin and well-tuned material that yielded exceptional photodegradation performance of methyl orange (MO) under visible light irradiation, without the need for any co-catalyst. About 96% of MO was degraded in as short as 30 min, achieving a normalized apparent reaction rate constant (k) of 1.1 × 10-2 min-1mg-1. This represents the highest k value ever reported using C3N4-based photocatalysts for MO degradation, based on our thorough literature search. Ultrasonication in acid not only prevents agglomeration of g-C3N4 nanosheets but also tunes pore size distribution and plays a key role in this achievement. We also studied their performance in a photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), achieving a production of 1842 µmol h-1 g-1. Through a profound analysis of all the samples' structure, morphology, and optical properties, we provide physical insight into the improved performance of our optimized porous g-C3N4 sample for both photocatalytic reactions. This research may serve as a guide for improving the photocatalytic activity of porous two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors under visible light irradiation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cristina Rodriguez-Seco
- Centre Énergie Materiaux et Telécommunications, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), Varennes, QC J3X 1P7, Canada; (Z.K.B.); (A.Y.)
| | | | - Dongling Ma
- Centre Énergie Materiaux et Telécommunications, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), Varennes, QC J3X 1P7, Canada; (Z.K.B.); (A.Y.)
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Dai X, Liu X, Li Y, Xu Q, Yang L, Gao F. Nitrogen-phosphorous co-doped carbonized chitosan nanoparticles for chemotherapy and ROS-mediated immunotherapy of intracellular Staphylococcus aureus infection. Carbohydr Polym 2023; 315:121013. [PMID: 37230629 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2023.121013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) residing in host macrophages is hard to clear because intracellular S. aureus has evolved mechanisms to hijack and subvert the immune response to favor intracellular infection. To overcome this challenge, nitrogen-phosphorous co-doped carbonized chitosan nanoparticles (NPCNs), which possess the polymer/carbon hybrid structures, were fabricated to clear intracellular S. aureus infection through chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Multi-heteroatom NPCNs were fabricated through the hydrothermal method, where chitosan and imidazole were used as the C and N sources and phosphoric acid as the P source. NPCNs can not only be used as a fluorescent probe for bacteria imaging but also kill extracellular and intracellular bacteria with low cytotoxicity. NPCNs could generate ROS and polarize macrophages into classically activated (M1) phenotypes to increase antibacterial immunity. Furthermore, NPCNs could accelerate intracellular S. aureus-infected wound healing in vivo. We envision that these carbonized chitosan nanoparticles may provide a new platform for clearing intracellular bacterial infection through chemotherapy and ROS-mediated immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Dai
- Laboratory of Functionalized Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, Anhui Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing, Laboratory of Biosensing and Bioimaging (LOBAB), College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241002, PR China.
| | - Xiaojun Liu
- Laboratory of Functionalized Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, Anhui Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing, Laboratory of Biosensing and Bioimaging (LOBAB), College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241002, PR China
| | - Yu Li
- Laboratory of Functionalized Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, Anhui Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing, Laboratory of Biosensing and Bioimaging (LOBAB), College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241002, PR China
| | - Qingqing Xu
- Laboratory of Functionalized Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, Anhui Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing, Laboratory of Biosensing and Bioimaging (LOBAB), College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241002, PR China
| | - Lele Yang
- Laboratory of Functionalized Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, Anhui Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing, Laboratory of Biosensing and Bioimaging (LOBAB), College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241002, PR China
| | - Feng Gao
- Laboratory of Functionalized Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education, Anhui Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing, Laboratory of Biosensing and Bioimaging (LOBAB), College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241002, PR China.
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Garcia-Mulero A, Asiri AM, Albero J, Primo A, Garcia H. All-carbon microporous graphitic photocatalyst-promoted reduction of CO 2 to CO in the absence of metals or dopant elements. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:11575-11582. [PMID: 35917169 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr02655d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Microporous graphitic carbon (mp-C) derived from the pyrolysis of α-, β-, and γ-cyclodextrins exhibited photocatalytic activity in CO2-saturated acetonitrile-water upon irradiation with UV-Vis light and in the presence of triethanolamine, forming H2 (19 μmol h-1) and CO (23 μmol h-1) accompanied by a lesser proportion of CH4 (4 μmol h-1). The most efficient was the mp-C material derived from α-cyclodextrin (mp-Cα) and having a pore dimension of 0.68 nm. The process also occured, although to a much lesser extent, under simulated sunlight or with UV-Vis irradiation in the absence of a sacrificial agent, with H2O being the electron donor. The origin of the CO was proved by isotopic 13C labelling experiments. Photocurrent measurements proved the occurrence of charge separation and the increase in photocurrent intensity in the presence of CO2. Transient absorption spectroscopy was used to detect the charge separate state decay in the microsecond time scale and proved that a fraction of the photogenerated electrons were able to react with CO2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Garcia-Mulero
- Instituto Universitario de Tecnología Química, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain.
| | - Abdullah M Asiri
- Center of Excellence in Advanced Materials Research, King Abdullah University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Josep Albero
- Instituto Universitario de Tecnología Química, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain.
| | - Ana Primo
- Instituto Universitario de Tecnología Química, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain.
| | - Hermenegildo Garcia
- Instituto Universitario de Tecnología Química, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain.
- Center of Excellence in Advanced Materials Research, King Abdullah University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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Meng J, Tong Z, Sun H, Liu Y, Zeng S, Xu J, Xia Q, Pan Q, Dou S, Yu H. Metal-Free Boron/Phosphorus Co-Doped Nanoporous Carbon for Highly Efficient Benzyl Alcohol Oxidation. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2200518. [PMID: 35411718 PMCID: PMC9189657 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202200518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
An in-depth understanding of the electronic structures of catalytically active centers and their surrounding vicinity is key to clarifying the structure-activity relationship, and thus enabling the design and development of novel metal-free carbon-based materials with desired catalytic performance. In this study, boron atoms are introduced into phosphorus-doped nanoporous carbon via an efficient strategy, so that the resulting material delivers better catalytic performance. The doped B atoms alter the electronic structures of active sites and cause the adjacent C atoms to act as additional active sites that catalyze the reaction. The B/P co-doped nanoporous carbon shows remarkable catalytic performance for benzyl alcohol oxidation, achieving high yield (over 91% within 2 h) and selectivity (95%), as well as low activation energy (32.2 kJ mol-1 ). Moreover, both the conversion and selectivity remain above 90% after five reaction cycles. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the introduction of B to P-doped nanoporous carbon significantly increases the electron density at the Fermi level and that the oxidation of benzyl alcohol occurs via a different reaction pathway with a very low energy barrier. These findings provide important insights into the relationship between catalytic performance and electronic structure for the design of dual-doped metal-free carbon catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Meng
- Key Laboratory of Bio‐Based Material Science and Technology of Ministry of EducationNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbin150040China
| | - Zhihan Tong
- Key Laboratory of Bio‐Based Material Science and Technology of Ministry of EducationNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbin150040China
| | - Haixin Sun
- Key Laboratory of Bio‐Based Material Science and Technology of Ministry of EducationNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbin150040China
| | - Yongzhuang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Bio‐Based Material Science and Technology of Ministry of EducationNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbin150040China
| | - Suqing Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Bio‐Based Material Science and Technology of Ministry of EducationNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbin150040China
| | - Jianing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Bio‐Based Material Science and Technology of Ministry of EducationNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbin150040China
| | - Qinqin Xia
- Key Laboratory of Bio‐Based Material Science and Technology of Ministry of EducationNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbin150040China
| | - Qingjiang Pan
- Key Laboratory of Functional Inorganic Material ChemistrySchool of Chemistry and Materials ScienceHeilongjiang UniversityHarbin150080China
| | - Shuo Dou
- Key Laboratory of Bio‐Based Material Science and Technology of Ministry of EducationNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbin150040China
| | - Haipeng Yu
- Key Laboratory of Bio‐Based Material Science and Technology of Ministry of EducationNortheast Forestry UniversityHarbin150040China
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Dong J, Zhang Y, Hussain MI, Zhou W, Chen Y, Wang LN. g-C 3N 4: Properties, Pore Modifications, and Photocatalytic Applications. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 12:121. [PMID: 35010072 PMCID: PMC8746910 DOI: 10.3390/nano12010121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), as a polymeric semiconductor, is promising for ecological and economical photocatalytic applications because of its suitable electronic structures, together with the low cost, facile preparation, and metal-free feature. By modifying porous g-C3N4, its photoelectric behaviors could be facilitated with transport channels for photogenerated carriers, reactive substances, and abundant active sites for redox reactions, thus further improving photocatalytic performance. There are three types of methods to modify the pore structure of g-C3N4: hard-template method, soft-template method, and template-free method. Among them, the hard-template method may produce uniform and tunable pores, but requires toxic and environmentally hazardous chemicals to remove the template. In comparison, the soft templates could be removed at high temperatures during the preparation process without any additional steps. However, the soft-template method cannot strictly control the size and morphology of the pores, so prepared samples are not as orderly as the hard-template method. The template-free method does not involve any template, and the pore structure can be formed by designing precursors and exfoliation from bulk g-C3N4 (BCN). Without template support, there was no significant improvement in specific surface area (SSA). In this review, we first demonstrate the impact of pore structure on photoelectric performance. We then discuss pore modification methods, emphasizing comparison of their advantages and disadvantages. Each method's changing trend and development direction is also summarized in combination with the commonly used functional modification methods. Furthermore, we introduce the application prospects of porous g-C3N4 in the subsequent studies. Overall, porous g-C3N4 as an excellent photocatalyst has a huge development space in photocatalysis in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Dong
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China; (J.D.); (M.I.H.)
| | - Yue Zhang
- Shunde Graduate School, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Foshan 528399, China; (Y.Z.); (W.Z.)
| | - Muhammad Irfan Hussain
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China; (J.D.); (M.I.H.)
| | - Wenjie Zhou
- Shunde Graduate School, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Foshan 528399, China; (Y.Z.); (W.Z.)
| | - Yingzhi Chen
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China; (J.D.); (M.I.H.)
- Shunde Graduate School, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Foshan 528399, China; (Y.Z.); (W.Z.)
| | - Lu-Ning Wang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China; (J.D.); (M.I.H.)
- Shunde Graduate School, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Foshan 528399, China; (Y.Z.); (W.Z.)
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