Ionic Liquids Microenvironment Modulates the Interface Properties of g-C₃N₄ for Boosting the Performance of...

The improvement of photocatalytic activity of g-C₃N₄ is expected for its advanced applications but remains a challenge due to the limitations of current strategies, such as single function, inefficiency, and uneconomical. Herein, a modified g-C₃N₄ with improved interface properties is constructed through the modulation of the ionic microenvironment affected by ionic liquids (ILs) and exhibits a 2.3-fold enhanced photodegradation efficiency and a 3.5-fold enhanced reaction rate relative to pristine g-C₃N₄. It has demonstrated excellent performance in photo-therapy bacterial-infected wounds. Theoretical calculation indicated that the precursor can be regulated by designing the specific ILs microenvironment to form "ILs-Mel" clusters due to the diversity of interaction energy and electrostatic potential. The cluster results in uneven stress on the 2D plane, further inducing the reconstruction of the microstructure. The synergistic effect of cations and anions of ILs on regulating the interface properties of g-C₃N₄ due to the change of skeleton structure during thermolysis of ILs. The microstructure, surface, and optical-electrical properties can be adjusted by selecting different cations of ILs, and the custom-made band structure and wettability can be obtained by selecting different anions. This work provides a facile strategy to modulate the interface properties of g-C₃N₄ by building specific a microenvironment of precursor.