A facile synthesis of coral tubular g-C3N4 for photocatalytic degradation RhB and CO2 reduction

Photocatalysis is an ecofriendly technique that emerged as a promising alternative for solar-to-clean energy conversion and pollutant degradation. Such g-C3N4 have demonstrated chemical stability and proper band position but with low specific surface area, limited light absorption, and easy recombination of photo-generated carriers. In this paper, we report on the successful synthesis of coral tubular g-C3N4 photocatalyst using a supramolecular-based approach. Among the as-synthesized samples, M1C2 (melamine-to-cyanuric acid molar ratio of 1:2) exhibited the best photocatalytic performance. The apparent rate constant of RhB degradation was 1.53 times greater than that of M1C0 (pure melamine), and the yield of CO is about 3 times higher than that of M1C0 during CO2 reduction. The formation of tubular structures increased the specific surface area and reduced the recombination efficiency of electron-hole pairs. Moreover, the position of the conduction band became more negative, generating more radicals that accelerated the process of photocatalysis. This work offered a practical and achievable approach to creating superior g-C3N4 and facilitating its application in diverse fields.