Reactive oxygen boosts photocatalytic oxytetracycline degradation and H2O2 production by K, O and cyano co-modified carbon nitride

Engineering photocatalysts to enhance the production of reactive oxygen species holds great importance in realizing effective water purification and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) 2 O 2 ) generation. Herein, the K, O, and cyano co- modified carbon nitride (KOCN) was constructed using thermal polymerization. Under visible light irradiation, KOCN showed excellent oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC) degradation efficiency and H2O2 2 O 2 generation rate. During the photocatalysis, rich reactive oxygens involving center dot O2- 2- , 1 O 2 , H 2 O 2, and center dot OH were detected. Additionally, the production of H2O2 2 O 2 was attributed to a two-step single-electron oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). DFT and characterization analyses confirmed that the doping of K and O as well as the formation of cyano groups expanded the visible light response range, adjusted the band structure, and improved the separation of photogenerated carriers. This study presents a novel approach for developing efficient, stable, and reusable photocatalysts to address contemporary environmental challenges.