Effect of synthesis approaches on morphology-driven photocatalytic activity for GCN
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: In this study, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) was synthesized using pyrolysis, hydrothermal, and electrochemical methods to evaluate the impact of synthesis on structural, morphological, and photocatalytic properties. Characterization techniques revealed that the synthesis route significantly influences crystallinity, surface area, and porosity, affecting photocatalytic performance. Pyrolysis produced dense nanofibers with low surface area (0.98 m 2 /g), and hydrothermal treatment yielded disordered sheets with moderate area (1.62 m 2 /g). At the same time, electrochemical synthesis resulted in highly exfoliated nanosheets with the highest surface area (5.34 m 2 /g) and mesoporosity. These features enabled the electrochemical sample (gCN El) to achieve the highest degradation efficiency for Methylene Blue (95 %) and Rhodamine B (94 %) within 120 min, with superior rate constants (2.58 × 10 −2 s −1 and 2.35 × 10 −2 s −1 , respectively). The results demonstrate that the synthesis strategy critically determines the physicochemical features and photocatalytic efficiency of g-C₃N₄, with electrochemical synthesis offering the most promising route for high-performance catalysts.
Source: Materials Letters
Authors: Shubham Kumar Patial, Anuj Sharma, Neelam Vishwakarma, Jyoti Jangra, Kaushik Ghosh, Suman Singh
Language: English
Field: Energy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,870
Award: G5739727073
OpenAlex ID: W4416118675