Work

The Elimination of N-Chloropiperidine in Aqueous Solution by Using Ni/NiO-C3N4 Under Visible Light Illumination

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: One of the main challenges in environmental remediation is the creation of stable and effective photocatalysts to eliminate organic contaminants when exposed to visible light. For the degradation of N-chloropiperidine, a persistent organic pollutant with multiple dangerous issues, we provide the synthesis, characterization, and photocatalytic evaluation of a Ni/NiO-incorporating carbon nitride (Ni/NiO-C3N4) composite in this work. The Ni/NiO-C3N4 photocatalyst was created by a single step of thermally polymerizing nickel nitrate and melamine. Four samples are ranged in Ni concentration from 0% to 10%. The coexistence of the Ni and NiO phases was confirmed by structural and morphological analyses using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). UV−Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) also demonstrated an enhanced capacity to absorb visible light. A study of photocatalytic performance under visible light illumination showed that the Ni/NiO-C3N4 composite degraded N-chloropiperidine at a much faster rate than either pure carbon nitride (0.0231 min−1), with a first-order rate constant of 0.0456 min−1. The reaction rate nearly quadrupled when 10% Ni was added to the C3N4 matrix. Furthermore, the Ni/NiO-C3N4 composite’s photocatalytic activity performed better than its counterparts Ni-C3N4 (0.0315 min−1) and NiO-C3N4 (0.0386 min−1). The synergistic interaction between Ni and NiO, which promotes effective charge separation and lowers electron–hole recombination, is responsible for the higher activity of Ni/NiO-C3N4, increasing the production of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, reusability experiments conducted over four successive cycles showed a slight decrease in activity, indicating the prepared samples are stable and reusable.

Source: Catalysts

DOI: 10.3390/catal15030233

Authors: Tahani M. Bawazeer, Amal A. Atran, Fatmah M. Alkhatib, Mohamed S. Hamdy

Institutions: Umm al-Qura University, Najran University, King Khalid University

Language: English

Topic: Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques

Subfield: Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

Field: Energy

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Clean water and sanitation

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,654