Band gap-tunable potassium doped graphitic carbon nitride with enhanced mineralization ability

Band gap-tunable potassium doped graphitic carbon nitride with enhanced mineralization ability was prepared using dicyandiamide monomer and potassium hydrate as precursors. X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption, UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), photoluminescence (PL) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the prepared catalysts. The CB and VB potentials of graphitic carbon nitride could be tuned from -1.09 and +1.56 eV to -0.31 and +2.21 eV by controlling the K concentration. Besides, the addition of potassium inhibited the crystal growth of graphitic carbon nitride, enhanced the surface area and increased the separation rate for photogenerated electrons and holes. The visible-light-driven Rhodamine B (RhB) photodegradation and mineralization performances were significantly improved after potassium doping. A possible influence mechanism of the potassium concentration on the photocatalytic performance was proposed.