Dual templates synthesis of C-doped mesoporous g-C3N4 nanosheets with efficiently photocatalytic activity

Designing and fabricating cost-efficient and eco-friendly photocatalysts for removing organic pollutants from wastewater streams is a crucial research objective for effectively managing industrial effluents to tackle environmental sustainability issues. In this study, a novel C-doped mesoporous g-C3N4 nanosheets (PCN-x) were prepared by using a combination of soft and hard template methods. The synthesized photocatalysts were effectively applied to degrade the methyl orange (MO) and rhodamine B (RhB) dye from synthetic industrial wastewater. The effect of C-doping on mesoporous g-C3N4 nanosheets were analyzed through physical and electrochemical techniques. The results indicated that C-doping leads to a substantial improvement in specific surface area and pore volume. Notably, sample PCN-1 with C/N of 1.22 exhibited the highest specific surface area at 185.7 m2/g, accompanied by a pore volume of 0.24 cm3/g. The excellent photocatalytic performance of the C-doped samples is attributed to the decreasing spacing of the g-C3N4 layers due to C-doping, a red shift in the wavelengths of the UV-Vis absorbing sidebands, and the declining probability of complexation of the photogenerated electron-hole pairs. PCN-1 was able to decompose 99.2 % of methyl orange and 97.1 % of rhodamine B within 120 min under the visible light, and the degradation efficiency did not decrease significantly after recycling, demonstrating excellent catalytic stability. These findings pave the way for synthesizing an economical, versatile, and efficient C-doped mesoporous g-C3N4 photocatalyst to eliminate pollutants from industrial wastewater streams and boost environmental sustainability.